Story by Joseph Moronez
Staff Writer
Lent is the time of year where one gives up their favorite things for 40 days as a sign of repentance. This season started last week on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday.
“Lent is a time for me to change my ways or repent,” said sophomore Frank Vierra. “Sometimes I give up food or I just plan to do better things during Lent.”
Lent celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is a world wide event, with both Christians and Catholics sacrificing.
“I’m a Christian and my cousins are Catholic, but we still give up things for lent,” said sophomore Nathan Guzman.
On Ash Wednesday, one goes to mass to celebrate the beginning of the Lent season. Before receiving communion, the priest calls up congregants to come receive ashes on their foreheads.
“I have been going to mass on Ash Wednesday for my whole life,” Guzman said.
Catholics and Christians have been taught to give up things for Lent since they were young.
“I’ve been giving up things since as long as I can remember,” said history teacher Mr. Mark Verti.
Giving up at a young age helps people connect better with God and relate to Jesus Christ when he had no water or food.
“I have been giving up things for lent since the fifth grade,” said junior Michael Perez, “Since I started in fifth grade my connection with God had strengthened with Lent.”
Although, the majority of the people that give things up for lent is food, does not mean you have to give up food. Some people instead of giving up try to do good things for other people like being nicer.
“This Lent instead of giving up anything, I want to be nicer and give more compliments, more positive this year,” said Mr. Verti.
However, most people do it on their own free will, even if they aren’t Catholic.
“I give up things on my own free will, because I do it for my love of God,” said Perez. “This year I am giving up cursing because I curse a lot and I want to stop for God.”
During Lent people have a hard time trying to give up their normal everyday things. So when people give up a normal thing they usually mess up, but it is not a sin since you forgot.
“When I first heard that Lent was 40 days I thought it would be hard to give up the things I do for so long, but it was actually easy,” said Vierra.
