From the Seminarian

By: Peter Santandreu
February 12, 2016

In my recent readings, there seems to be three schools of thought when it comes to what the purpose of the Lenten sacrifice is. By “Lenten sacrifice” I mean the things we chose to fast from during these 40 days of repentance and renewal.

The first I will call “Catholic New Year” or “Spring training.” In this line of thinking the Lenten sacrifice is really resetting the dials of our Christian discipleship and taking up, or trying to let go, the things we should be doing anyway. An example of this would be if someone began praying before meals throughout Lent in hopes that a habit will form and the practice will stick for the rest of the year. Or, on the other side of the coin, someone could give up swearing in hopes that he/she will no longer feel the temptation when Easter comes.

Secondly, we have what I name “Pope Francis Sacrifice.” Here we have more of a “for what” question attached to each sacrifice. The point is not necessarily to take up/put down something that will flow into the whole year, but rather to make sacrifices for the sake of someone else. An example of this would be giving up coffee and using the money saved to donate to those in need. Here the focus is not on one’s self but more of a “live simply so other can simply live” mentality.

Lastly, we encounter the “Greater Appreciation” model. In this school the focus is on giving up the goods of creation that are meant to be enjoyed so as to take them up again in Easter joy at the end of the season. This would include sleeping on the floor for 40 nights so as to better appreciate the comfort of a bed come Easter Sunday. Such thinking uses the Lenten sacrifice to act as a symbol or metaphor for life on earth. The things we rightly enjoy though out the year should not become the centre of our lives, such that we are unable to see God through them, but rather should be appreciated for what they are; God’s gracious gifts that make human life livable and enjoyable.

I am not suggesting that one school of thought is better than another, I think we all come to Lent at different times in our lives needing different things out of it. With this breakdown in mind, perhaps we can take up/put down sacrifices that correspond to where we are in our spiritual journey today in 2016.

Happy Lent…get to it.

Peter is a Seminarian studying at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, NY and will be at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish for pastorial experience until June 2016. Peter grew up in Hamburg, NY. Following graduation from St. John Fisher College, he spent two years as a volunteer doing missionary work at an Argentinian orphanage where he learned to speak Spanish. He later earned a M.A. in Theology St. Michael’s in Toronto.