Catholic Schools in Lent

By MICHAEL GERARD

It is Lent again. As a cradle Catholic, I have always looked forward to this season. But why, you may ask? Well, it stems from a feeling of community and pride. Now, we know that pride is a sin, and I fully agree that if you are doing a religious practice for public acclaim, your reward is given here on earth. The Bible calls you a hypocrite in Matthew chapter 6: “Do not blow trumpets before you as you give alms.” I agree entirely and never want to be that terrible hypocrite. However, we have to strike a delicate balance of evangelizing the good news and what may appear as self-promotion. That is part of what I learned in my nine years of Catholic school.

So, Lent makes me feel community and pride? Well, let me work this out. Lent is a time of spiritual growth - a time to get tough and grow closer to God. During the 40 days, Jesus fasted. Something I always wondered about: can you fast for 40 days? If you do a little research online, you will find that fasting is all the rage today. It is a fad that is sweeping the nation, and you will find that people are commonly doing multi-day water-only fasts. Social media is now flooded with forums and groups that support this newfound but also ancient practice. All Catholics 18 and older are called to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The solidarity you have when you are fasting as a family or a peer group is strengthening. Suffering in common brings people together. It turns out that there are people who are extending their fasts into weeks and, in a few cases, even months. So, yes, Jesus, who was fully man and fully God, could have engaged in a 40-day fast without any supernatural support. Just make sure that your doctor approves any extended fasts. Because, like any extreme diet, it can get hazardous very quickly. Jesus fasted for us, he is shown on the crucifix, and he is so emaciated. He used that hunger and privation to pray for us. We can use our privation to pray as well. But depriving ourselves alone can be challenging, and it is easier to do when you do it together.

Setting ourselves apart, together. When I was younger, Lent helped me to understand that, as a practicing Catholic, I was not the same as my friends. Candy and sweets were the common thing to give up. Visiting friends in the neighborhood during Lent left me with a choice. Do I take the sweets, or do I pass? I found that I was called on to make this conscious moral decision on a regular basis. I began to understand that the prohibitions were making me think more often of my spiritual life. Lent was like a boot camp. Lent was a place that helped me grow. Boot camp is a communal experience. So is Lent. Our Catholic schools help to increase the blessings of Lent because we are doing it together.

I still get excited about the Lenten season because we are called to more - a closer relationship with God. In our Catholic schools, we often talk about our Lenten practices. The common practice of giving up sweets is almost universal. Students share and compare the things they have given up. There is a strong need to fit in, but there is also a strong need to be unique. Doing something different during Lent was a way of using your imagination and engaging deeper in your faith. When I was a kid, I remember one family gave up television - an unthinkable thing when I was a kid! Today, screen time is a common Lenten fast among our school children, encouraged by parents and teachers who see that too much social media and video games are probably not best for our children. Are we hypocrites because we discuss these Lenten practices? “Oh, it's Friday, and I can't have meat, but I want that pizza for din ner.” Are we calling attention to glorify ourselves, or are we asking for support in our practice? Teachers at school and adults at home would say, “Offer it up,” when someone would complain. That is the impor tance of being surrounded by other Catholics. This is why Catholic schools are great. It helps to have sup port as our children grow in the faith.

I recall visiting my grandparents when I was in junior high. When we arrived, the house was full of cousins. As the evening went along, we all were getting hungry and asked Grandma what she had to eat. Like a lot of retired people, she did not have lots of food on hand. What she did have was several frozen pizzas - three-meat pizzas. We all agreed that we couldn’t have the pizzas because it was Friday and it was Lent. We decided to wait until midnight. We hung out and watched the clock. From 8:30 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., we had the best time. We were “suffering” together. We began to preheat the oven at about 11:00 p.m. and put the pizzas in at 17 minutes till midnight so that we would be able to pull the pizza out of the oven at exactly midnight. Strong Catholic parents raised us all. We all went to Catholic school. There was peer pressure to hold the line. If anyone was wavering, they did not say so. It was understood. We supported each other. We were victorious together. That pizza was so delicious when we ate it. The waiting is what made the reward. It is one of my most cherished memories.

Visiting our Catholic schools, you will see people living Lent. Living Stations of the Cross, students raising money and giving alms to the poor, and the increase in prayer by way of Eucharistic Adoration and daily prayer show me that our schools are alive with the faith. Take this opportunity to get a tour of your Catholic school. They would be happy to show you around. Make this part of your Lenten observations.

Lent is a beautiful time of the year in Catholic schools. People who don’t understand faith say that standing in a church makes you as much of a Christian as standing in a garage makes you a car. It is a false comparison. Visit your school and be amazed. Catholic schools are one of the best places to see the Catholic Church in action. Help us support the next generation of Catholics. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions about our schools or want to join in our mission. Have a blessed Lent. Thank you, and God bless.

Michael Gerard is the assistant superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.