Lent

As a child, I remember lent as somewhat terrifying for many reasons. For one, I knew I had to give something up that I enjoyed dearly. For years I would always choose candy. Secondly, there was a lingering anxiety felt in fear that I wouldn’t succeed and thinking that God would be “mad at me.” Now we all know how difficult it is for a child to completely do away with candy for forty whole days -- and who wants to face God if you believe he’s upset with you? Strangely enough I observe this same childlike approach to the Lenten season in my adult self and my fellow adult Christians. When I took a small poll amongst my friends in college asking “What does Lent mean to you?” and “How do you participate?”, I found many had a similar response. They all believe it’s a time of fasting---when one gives up a vice of some sort for forty days. Well, why?
I am a member of the Lykehouse: The Catholic Center at the AUC and Lent, as we know it is a time of preparation. It is the time before Easter when we prepare ourselves, and our parish for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Imagine how difficult this task poses amongst several college campuses full of “caterpillar” students. Transitioning from childhood into adulthood—literally. At the Lykehouse we host a list of services and do all that we can to both serve and nurture students on their forty day long journey. Hopefully, our students will be the most beautiful butterflies ever seen.
Usually the place is decorated in Royal Purple emphasizing the coming of our King Jesus Christ. As do most churches, we start our Lenten season with an Ash Wednesday Mass. Throughout the course of the season we all participate by serving as lectors, acolytes, hospitality minsters, musical ministers, and even liturgical dancers. Our unique center is not only for the students of the AUC, but it is also by the students as well. I have been a member for all of six years. My participation includes liturgical dance and dramatized readings. So much so that we collaborate with our Priest, Fr. Edward Branch, during our liturgy meeting to make sure his homily is in alignment with the current Christian issues in the AUC. During Lent, this is especially important because temptations on campus are omnipresent. His message has to be strong and heartfelt. Some years we even do a Stations of the Cross walkthrough around the campuses.
One of the key ingredients to my success during Lent has been the “packet” Lykehouse issues’. It is full of prayers and affirmations to help me stay on track. It comes in a neat purple folder accompanied by a calendar and a Biblical fashioned nail. The nail, I think, is what sets us apart from the many student Catholic centers in the Atlanta region during lent. We are asked to carry it around for the entire journey. Yes—everywhere! It is a symbol of Jesus’ pain and suffering in which we are to reflect on during lent. When we choose to make a sacrifice or “give something up” we may often find ourselves suffering as well. Fighting temptation isn’t a walk in the park. Having the nail with us at all times ensures security and inspires courage in knowing that if Jesus could sacrifice his life for me, I can sacrifice anything. We are also to mimic Jesus’ time in the wilderness during these forty days where he also had to fight temptation.
I have had my experiences in the wilderness both during Lent and beyond. My childhood life wasn’t a very appealing hand of cards to play. For most of it I felt alone and insecure---in every meaning of the word. I dealt with these emotions all up until I met Jesus Christ. It was love at first sight, creating an internal--eternal flame of passion and devotion. I met him at my confirmation night at the end of Lent, Easter Vigil, when I was 13 years old. I don’t remember much about “giving up something” that year, rather I remember the opposite. I “ gained something”. I made a choice, the right choice, to wait for Jesus. I had the courage and the faith to endure my painful feelings and situations for 40 days longer to wait for someone that I honestly wasn’t sure would arrive. I dealt with the temptation to quit or find other means of healing that were both harmful and illegal, but sure to subdue the pain.
Now that I’m transitioning into adulthood, temptation is even more difficult to reject than fighting it as a child. I can easily give up candy nowadays. Sure its fine to observe lent by “giving something up” but lets not forget what we gain as well. Jesus gave his life for our salvation, but he also gained eternal life for everyone. Its not so much about how we celebrate lent as individuals, instead its about how what we do as individuals will eventually benefit us all. This is a principle Lykehouse’s Lenten practices have taught me. Maybe facing the feeling that I was loosing something is what made lent so terrifying for me as a child. While lent is a sad time, we must not forget that joy is near—Jesus is near. What better ways to exemplify this enlightenment than to participate, share our time with a community, help the poor and orphaned, do more than we usually do. With Lykehouse’s help I am humbled, and reassured that I can be a better person in preparation for the coming of our King. Lent is truly a special time at Lykehouse and we only hope to be a beacon of light and hope for our AUC students to share with the world.
So there it is, Lent isn’t just about “giving something up”, particularly a vice. To put it more in perspective, it’s about “sharing and preparing”.