Lent is a sacred time for many students on campus, despite temptations usually faced in college.
Lent is a 40-day period before Easter where people who practice make sacrifices in their everyday life to prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, said religious studies sophomore Austin Satrio.
“I think it’s supposed to be preparing you to actually live out your faith in a way you’re supposed to — it’s just a time of looking inwards,” Satrio said. “I think that’s kind of a calling as what we’re supposed to do to prepare ourselves to live a deeper spiritual life.”
For Satrio, Lent this year looks a little different than previous years, which consisted of giving up certain foods and only a halfway commitment. Satrio, along with a group of other Catholics, committed to a Lent program for men called the Exodus 90.
The Exodus 90 consists of “asceticism and prayer,” no snacking between meals, fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, no social media, television, sweets or hot showers.
“That first week was brutal, I mean, I didn’t even know what to do with my time, 'cause all the things I spend my time doing I couldn’t do,” Satrio said.
Instead of spending time on social media or watching television, Satrio has committed to dedicating this time to concentrated prayer and intentionally spending time with others, he said.
Ava Mendoza, a biomedical engineering freshman, gave up elevators, as well as committed to writing in a Lenten journal every night.
“I gave up elevators ... that's a really hard sacrifice,” Mendoza said. “I'm on the sixth floor, so it's not like awful. But by the fourth I'm winded, especially carrying my backpack.”
Mendoza did not start taking Lent seriously until a few years ago when her high school chaplain spoke about how Lent can be a fruitful time for one to grow, she said.
“I think it's a really good way to better spiritually and mentally be prepared for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ because that’s our whole faith,” Mendoza said. “So, you’re preparing yourself and almost making yourself better.”
Despite experiencing difficulty and temptation, both Satrio and Mendoza cite the Catholic community and missionaries on campus for assisting in their faith life and Lenten promises.
Tevis Hillis, a journalism junior, is Methodist and considers it a tradition to practice Lent each year with her mother. This year, she chose to sacrifice eating after 8 p.m.
“I had this belief that even though I’m not Catholic, I still need to participate in Lent and be a part of really just working on myself for the next 40 days,” Hillis said.
Although she originally planned to give up something that would improve her bodily health, she chose to give up something more intentional.
“I was in church for Ash Wednesday … thinking about giving up something else, but that wasn’t something that really tempted me,” Tevis said. “It was something that would make me healthier, not a better person, not a more religious person … I was like, if I stopped eating past eight then that’s really going to push me to really think about my actions before I do them.”
Hillis said that even though she knew there were people on campus with the same beliefs as her, she was scared to reach out to them freshman year.
“I think it was hard freshman year to practice Lent, just because it’s college, it’s new and you don’t really know how to navigate it …” Hillis said. “You know, some of the people do celebrate Lent and do have these beliefs, but I think I was scared freshman year to really reach out to those types of people and get to know them.”
Satrio had similar difficulties with keeping up with his faith life during his freshman year at OU.
“The college environment is probably one of the toughest places, especially as a freshman last year — that’s the first time in your life where you’re on your own. … That was the biggest struggle for me last year, which made it so easy to be lukewarm,” Satrio said.
Satrio said he meets weekly with a group of Catholic male students who are also committed to the Exodus 90.
“There have definitely been people who have pushed me even farther, we have missionaries on campus,” Satrio said. “Meeting those missionaries this year, one in particular, we’ve stayed constant just pushing each other.”
Through experiencing the intensity of the commitment of the Exodus 90, Satrio emphasized the importance of the community and accountability of the others experiencing it with him.
“By eliminating all these things, all these comforts, you’re able to direct your attention more towards your faith life, your prayer life, things like that, and there is kind of a freedom in it as well,” Satrio said.
