LENT 101
It’s hard to believe that Ash Wednesday is right around the corner, celebrated this year on March 5, 2025. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent, but what exactly does that mean, and how can I participate in the different traditions and customs while here at CBU?
LENT
First, Lent is a kind of annual retreat for all Christians. We spiritually “venture into the desert” for forty days, just as Jesus did when he sought that quiet, alone place to prepare for his public ministry (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-15, Luke 4:1-14). During Lent, we renew our life of faith and service for the coming year, and we prepare our hearts to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter.
HOW CAN I OBSERVE LENT IN MY OWN LIFE?
There are three traditional pillars of Lent: prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. Christians are encouraged to participate in all three areas to help increase their awareness of, dependence upon, and relationship with God.
Common Lenten prayer practices would include taking up a new spiritual discipline; examples include spending time in silence each day, reading Scripture or other spiritual books, appreciating the beauty of God’s creation, practicing different devotionals like the Stations of the Cross, or attending additional liturgies such as a daily Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Eucharistic Adoration. During Lent, we (re)prioritize our relationship with the Lord and place Him at the center of our lives.
Almsgiving also acknowledges God as the source of all life. Everything that we are and have comes from God. Rather than selfishly keeping those gifts to ourselves, we are called to share them. Some give alms by donating money. You might donate money or goods to a local charity, or participate in the Rice Bowl initiative put on by CBU students in the Catholic Relief Services RSO (Registered Student Organization). If monetary giving is a challenge, sharing your time and talent by volunteering also demonstrates your generosity with God who has been so generous to us.
As for fasting, the main objective for a Christian is to fast from sin. That said, we might devote extra attention during Lent to overcoming some sinful behavior. Alternatively, we might deny ourselves some common pleasure that is not sinful in and of itself (ex. social media, caffeine, alcohol, snacking between meals, etc.). Fasting from these things increases our reliance upon God: in cutting out non-essential parts of our lives, we can replace that time with opportunities for prayer or almsgiving. For example, if you scroll through Instagram or TikTok before falling asleep, fasting from your favorite social media platform could create nearly half an hour for prayer. As another example, fasting from the coffee shop in the morning allows for a five-dollar donation (or almsgiving) to a charitable organization.
what does Ash Wednesday have to do with Lent?
If we look at the Old Testament, ashes represent repentance. Check out Job 42:6, Jeremiah 6:26, Daniel 9:3, or Jonah 3:6-8 for just a few examples. In all of these texts, Biblical figures express their desire for renewal by covering themselves with or sitting in ashes. This ancient practice was a sign of humility, recalling that God forms humans from the “dust of the earth.”
On Ash Wednesday, Christians receive ashes on their forehead in the sign of the cross, a symbol of their commitment to spiritual renewal during Lent. When receiving the imposition of ashes, we will hear one of the following two formulae: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” or “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” Both phrases cultivate a sense of dependence on God and reveal our constant need for conversion and renewal of our faith.
HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE IN ASH WEDNESDAY AT CBU?
We will be offering three opportunities to receive ashes so that everyone can fully, consciously, and actively participate in this important liturgical day. Even non-Christians are invited to take part in receiving ashes if they feel so inclined – all are welcome to join us on March 5th in Stritch Chapel at the following times!
- 8:00am-8:15am – Service of the Word and Distribution of Ashes
- 12:00pm-12:45pm – Ash Wednesday Mass (Mass + Distribution of Ashes)
- 4:00pm-4:15pm – Service of the Word and Distribution of Ashes
It is also important to note that Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence. We fast by only eating one full-size meal with the other two meals not exceeding in combination the main meal. We abstain by refraining from eating meat (note, too, that all Fridays during Lent are days to abstain from eating meat – hence the popularity of a parish Lenten Friday fish fry!).
Campus Ministry exhorts all faculty, staff, and students to avoid giving away or selling sweet treats on March 5th in keeping with the ancient tradition of fasting and abstinence on Ash Wednesday.
LENTEN REFLECTIONS
Lastly, Campus Ministry will again be offering Lenten Reflections for every single day of Lent, and we want to hear from you! Faculty, staff, and students will all have the opportunity to sign up to share a brief message with the community based on a Gospel passage. Simply fill out this registration to let us know that you’re interested, and then we will send you your Gospel passage and some helpful guidelines. These reflections are meant to be just that: personal reflections. Some individuals could pull from their academic formation, while others might tend more to their own spiritual observations. A diversity of perspectives will make these Lenten Reflections fruitful, so don’t be shy!
May God bless you during this Lenten season and always!
Joel Kelley
Director of Campus Ministry & Mission
