Lent, the 40 Days Sacrifice
“Lent” is the yearly time of fasting for Christians that lasts up to 40 days. In other words, Lent is a “period of sacrifice leading up to Jesus’ death and Resurrection,” in which Christians fast, pray and reconcile. Occurring from Wednesday February 14th until Saturday March 31st this year, Christians practice their fasting process based on their religious morals.
In this stage, Christians start fasting on a Wednesday that is known as the “ash Wednesday” and break it on the holy Saturday. In this religious period, believers are not allowed to to eat animal products, or to commit any religiously unethical behaviors like smoking and sex in order to stick to purification, instead, they must focus on resolving their sins.
Fasting is not only about food exclusion, it requires to ban committing sins with the five senses like Mariam George, media figure and miss Egypt of 2015, said, “you must fast with all your senses. Your eyes should not see anything bad or sinful, your brains should not think of immoral stuff, you cannot lie or talk behind someone’s back, and your ears, as well, shouldn’t listen to sinfuls.”
Moreover, it is obviously impossible one can stay 4o days without food for 40 days, but Lent created a diet plan that prohibits and permits specific foods. It depends on the sect. Some Christian confessions allow dairy while others do not. Also, some allow eating any type of meats on Sundays only. “I like that it is encouraging you to cut down on fast food for a good period of time, since most it isn’t fast viable,” Andrew Girgis, a finance student in AUD elaborates. “Also being vegetarian, although not for me, does feel great.”
In addition to ash Wednesdays, Fridays too are considered important to abstain meats on them; it is as sinful as on the Wednesdays. Maria Andrew, a highschool student, explained, “Lent seemed to be limiting at the beginning, but it became easier and actually so healthy.”
Last but not least, people of other beliefs are also compassionate with Christians. AUD Journalism Professor Yasmine Bahrani is already encouraging her friends, explaining, “I am fasting in solidarity, just respecting what my Christian friends are going through.” It is already halfway there to celebrating easter!
Photo Credit:
http://www.monkwearmouthcofe.com/lent.html
