By LESLIE WILLSON
Columnist
As Valentines day approaches, so does Lent. Lent is a time for Catholics to spiritually prepare themselves for Easter, which is when they believe Jesus died, and rose again. Unlike every Sunday services, there is more emphasis on this holiday.
Lent lasts forty days. This year it starts on the Valentines day and ends on Easter which is April 1st this year. Typically, during this time, people will fast, decide to give up a worldly good, like chocolate or candy, or they’ll do something extra every day, like help out around the house, and or help others around them. If you’re to young, or to old, it is recommended you don’t fast. Another major distinguishing factor, is that they do not eat meat on Fridays.
Growing up in a very Catholic town and going to a Catholic school up until seventh grade, this wasn’t a hard thing to do. Now that I’m older, and venturing out in the world, it is more of an on-your-own task.
Since a majority of students in my home town were also Catholic, so it was not surprising the middle school and high school there offered options every Friday. Here at Northwestern State University, it is nice to know they help to accommodate during this time. Besides offering a salad bar every day, and other options like cheese pizza, cereal, and they also will offer fish.
We have tried a couple different tactics during our Lenten preparation in our home. First off, we have a family of eight, and having that many people all believing and doing the same thing, makes it a lot easier.
For instance, there was a couple years where we decided we were going to give up something. This can be a hard or easy task. When doing something like this, you’re supposed to pick something that will be hard for you to personally do, making it that much more of a challenge. Not everyone does this, but our mother made sure we did.
A couple examples would be giving up chocolate, cursing, having a second plate of food at meals, pop, or smoking. You can also option to help out more around the house. Take on extra chores, help out your neighbors, volunteer more, or attempt to be a better person, friend, or sibling. The last most popular option, is simply praying more, and focusing on your beliefs, and getting back to your roots.
Life is crazy, and it doesn’t take much for us to stray from ourselves and religion. This is the perfect time to reconnect and get back to the place you want to be at.
You have time to focus on your religion, focus on yourself, and who you are, and remember what is important to you in life that you may have forgotten about. It’s a personal journey, done by many, with the same common goals.