Is Lent Becoming More Mainstream?
Today marks the first day of Lent, which is a spiritual observance intended to draw one closer to God.
The practice of giving something up, or fasting, during Lent has become more mainstream. So what do religious leaders make of it?
People around the world have chosen to give something up for Lent, the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday/Easter Sunday.
“I am an avid mashed potato eater on a daily basis,” says Montgomery resident Marsha Horton. “So this year I’m giving up eating mashed potatoes on a daily basis.”
Horton says she hopes to shed a few pounds and gain discipline by ditching the mashed potatoes. And others, who may not even be of the Christian faith, are vowing to give up certain foods, social media, and bad habits like smoking. But Father Paul McQuillen of Montgomery’s St. Jude Catholic Church says the purpose of Lent may be getting lost in all of it.
“The danger is when it’s just about giving up candy, that’s where it ends,” he says. “The danger of Lent always is, I made it, I did it, I gave up candy. And I always say to people, God’s not jumping up and down because you gave candy up for Lent.”
Father McQuillen says what you give up for Lent should make you a better Christian or Catholic.
“It might be you have to learn how to hold your tongue,” he says. “Maybe you have to learn how to cooperate with your neighbor, be a better person at work, try and be a better parent.”
Some Christians are not giving anything up.
“I don’t believe in giving something up just to do it,” says resident Allen Davis. “People following trends you know, It’s sort of something to fit in.”
“Ultimately, whatever you do should bring us closer to Christ and be a better Christian,” McQuillen. “That’s really what it’s all about. That’s its purpose.”
Father McQuillen says he doesn’t look down on anyone who chooses to give something up, even if they’re not doing it for the correct reason. He sees it as a way to draw even more people to the church.
The 40 days of Lent represents several things, including the amount of days Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his ministry.
