WITH the Lenten Season in full bloom, I recently asked my friends what they were giving up for Lent—or if they were sacrificing anything at all. One of my closest friends—who said she was not giving up anything because she was not very religious—mentioned something that also seemed to contradict her own ideals.
She dropped a saying by John Chrysostom that Pope Francis also quoted in light of the Lenten Season. The quote was: “No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great.”
The quote was so impactful that I started to look into myself and re-evaluate what I was thinking of giving up for Lent. The curiosity about what others were doing also sparked. With this, we interviewed a few of our ‘Zup readers about what they were giving up for Lent and why they were doing it.
“Convenience is often a big factor in our decisions. However, for this Lent I decided to lessen and eventually cease the unnecessary use of plastic. This way, I can slowly form an eco-friendly habit and become a better steward for God’s creation.” —Natalie Ling, 19, Chinese Language student
“Honestly, aside from abstaining from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays, I haven’t really thought of what to sacrifice for Lent this year. However, I decided that I want to take this chance to strengthen my relationship with the Lord and feel closer to him. That’s what is most important to me this Lent season.” —Noah Weigel, 19, BS Psychology student
“I’m not giving up a certain food group for Lent—because I don’t really see the point of that —but what I am for sure giving up though is my habit of biting my nails. I’ve been biting since I can remember and I think (and hope) this can be a start.” —Jeanette Lavilla, 23, Young Professional
“I’m giving up the things I do that make me a toxic person to other people. In a world full of toxic people, it’s easy for me to become a toxic person without even knowing it, so I’m determined to do my part in making the world a better place by being sensitive to the feelings of others.” —Jericho Villafuerte, 19, BS Biology student