The Lenten Fast (why it matters and what you can do about it)

Beginning this Wednesday, more conversations than not on the Notre Dame campus will begin with the words, “So what are you giving up this Lent?” Lots of people will be posting peace-out-see-you-soon FaceBook statuses (“Be back in 40 days!”), enjoying their last sweets for a little while on Fat Tuesday, and renewing their workout or sleeping commitments.

All of this is fine and good, but so often we don’t do justice to the real meaning behind the act of giving something up for Lent.

The forty days of Lent are not recognized arbitrarily. One of the earliest stories we know about Jesus is that of his temptation for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert (see Matthew 4). Jesus was hungry, thirsty, dirty, and tired during this time, and on top of all these human struggles he was tempted three times by the devil. It took an immense death to self and reliance on God the Father for Jesus to overcome this trial.

During Lent, the individuals of the Body of Christ are called to enter into Jesus’ self-emptying in a special way through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (see Campus Ministry’s Lent FAQ page for more information on Lenten practices).

In an accomplishment-driven culture such as ours, it is easy to fall into the idea that Lent is a time for improving ourselves. But this is a sort of disoriented desire. The practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during Lent help us to allow things in ourselves to be crucified. So, what’s the best way to choose something to give up for Lent, now that the stakes are higher and this practice means a little more than self-improvement? 

Consider these scenarios:

Do you give up Instagram to save yourself time (self-actualizing), or do you give up Instagram to prevent yourself from the prideful/vain practice of refreshing the page incessantly after posting a picture to track the number of likes you get (self-emptying)?

Do you read scripture for 15 minutes every night during Lent just to speak to your friends about it and to check that box off the list (self-actualizing), or do you make this a personal habit in order to put yourself in a prayerful, right mindset at the close of every day while taking 15 minutes out of your social media routine during the day (self-emptying)?

Instead of giving up stress drinking to make yourself healthier (self-actualizing), give up an hour or two on Sunday night that you “study” – reserve those for Mass, prayer, etc., and be more efficient in your studying on a regular basis (self-emptying). 

Etc…

Lent asks us to put on a level of self-reflection that we might not have given time or attention to the rest of the year. The practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are guides that allow us to enter into the desert with Jesus (we have focused on fasting in this post, but we can also incorporate prayer and almsgiving into our Lenten promises).

If we’re going to the desert, we’re going to the Cross, too. We allow our disordered desires to be crucified during Lent, so that with Jesus we might say, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).