Lent tries to find a place in modern society

By Raphael Borja

In an ironic twist, many youth seem to have given up the season of giving up – Lent.

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (08/03/2011)The forehead of Eva-Marie Smith is marked with a cross of black ashes, to mark Lent at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Belleville. Photo by Raphael Borja.

“It’s a thing of the past,” said Eddie Davies, an Investigation and Protection Studies student at Loyalist College. “People don’t use religion much nowadays.”

For the 40 days leading to Easter, Christians traditionally celebrate Lent, the period of 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter, observed by some Christian churches with fasting, penitence, prayer and self-denial.

The aim is for parishioners to make sacrifices as they spiritually prepare for Easter, moving closer to God.

“The purpose of sacrificing is to show us that things of this world are not as important of things of the next world. When we deny ourselves, we become spiritually strong,” said Father Richard Whalen, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Belleville.

During Lent, Catholics are obligated to abstain from meat on Fridays and encouraged to sacrifice something they enjoy for Lent.

But not all young people have abandoned traditional church practices. Some are still giving up favourite foods as well as more unconventional things, like Facebook or texting.

Davis Maschi, a Grade 9 student at Nicholson Catholic College, has given up the video game Call of Duty for Lent.

“I learn perseverance,” he said, “because I’m actually following my religion, unlike some kids.”

Some youth have a different take on Lent.

Michael Kiomall isn’t sacrificing anything this Lent, but rather dedicating more personal time to spirituality.

“I didn’t know what to give up for Lent, so I decided to focus more on my religion,” said Kiomall , a first-year Loyalist chemical engineering student. “My commitment is to try to pray the rosary and read the bible every day.”

Kiomall has made Lenten sacrifices in the past. He believes his new approach to Lent will make him a better Christian. “I don’t find (making sacrifices) all that difficult, but to become more focused on the religion I believe in, that’s more important I think.”

“Lent is not always just giving something – we change how we use the things we have,” Whalen said.

Lent also faces skepticism from secularists. Eric Thomas, president of the Quinte Secular Humanist Society, believes Lent is irrelevant.

“We (humanists) believe in science. We believe in humans. Lent is part of the dogma of the Christian religion that humanists don’t believe in,” said Thomas.

However, some young people believe Lent has fallen off the map among their generation.

“It’s just fading out in society,” Davies said. “I’m not religious myself and I don’t know too many people who are.”

The devout Kiomall said Lent will have a hard time catching on in the secular world.

“It lacks commercialism. For Christmas, you’re buying gifts. For Easter, you’re buying chocolate. But for Lent, it’s the opposite – you’re giving up something and there’s no money value.”

Thomas said Lent will never find a place in contemporary society.

“The days of somebody standing in front of a pulpit speaking Latin so no one could understand them are gone. People have more access to information. They can subscribe to science instead of fiction,” Thomas said.

“We have a much busier society than when I grew up, when Lent was kept more intensely,” Whelan said. “We’ve had about 500 people come to Ash Wednesday Mass, so people still very much attached to this penitential season; they see it as something very positive.”