Courtesy of St. Thomas More Chapel

Yale’s Christian students of all denominations are celebrating Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday, March 2, and will end on Easter Sunday, April 17. 

Lent, the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, is a time many Christians use to remember the events of Jesus’ life up until his death. In remembrance of Jesus’ fast, practicing Christians often choose something to abstain from during the Lent period. Students at the University reflected on what they gave up for Lent and what the celebration means to them. 

“We fail in so many ways to live up to the covenant that we are supposed to be a part of. So, Lent is a time to look at our lives and say, ‘in what ways am I not living up to the covenant that Christ opened for us?’” said Mike Samaritano ’24, co-chair of the undergraduate council at St. Thomas More. “So I do it out of obligation, yes, but I think the logic behind it is really beautiful and profound.” 

Lent, which is practiced predominantly by Catholics but also by members of other Christian denominations, includes three pillars: prayers, fasting and almsgiving. On Ash Wednesday, which occurred in early March, and Good Friday, which will occur in mid-April, Christians are supposed to abstain from all meat and only have one meal, as well as two smaller things that may add up to a meal. Christians are also encouraged to give to charity during this time.

In addition to the three pillars, many Christians also give up something during Lent as a form of sacrifice. According to Samaratino, many students give up sweets or something similar. Those who fail to successfully complete their 40-day abstention usually do so because they choose to give up something “too extreme,” he noted. 

“Doing something crazy for 40 days is hard,” Samaratino said. “The way I think you should look at it is ‘This is stuff I’m doing for 40 days that I should be doing for the whole year.’ You shouldn’t stop calling your mother after 40 days.”

In lieu of giving something up, one can instead “do something extra” for Lent such as being more active or charitable. This is the route that Samaratino has chosen to take this year.

Sharla Moody ’22, a Protestant and managing editor for the Christian magazine Yale Logos, gave up sweets this year. She told the News that she enjoys Lent because it allows her to “orient her perspective” to Easter, which in her opinion is the best day of the year. Lent also allows her to think of her own weaknesses, she said, pointing out that she failed to successfully complete her abstention from social media during last year’s Lent. 

Neema Mwamburi ’25 similarly gave up social media this year for Lent. Mwamburi said that she usually partook in much more constricting fasting during Lent, but “that’s not possible here.”

“Fasting from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. is much harder at Yale because of the circumstances of walking to class, which will make you more tired, and work and stress on top of that makes it much harder to not have food during the day,” said Mwamburi.

Many Christian groups on campus have been active within the 40-day period to help students navigate their observance of Lent while at the University. 

St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center hosted a Lent 101 talk prior to Ash Wednesday to prepare students for the season. The chapel also held an Ash Wednesday service which drew over 175 attendees, according to Samaritano, and continues to provide daily masses and confessions as usual. 

As part of the almsgiving pillar of Lent, St. Thomas More also held a benefit concert for Ukraine on March 16. 

Yale Logos is also currently co-publishing Lent Series 2022, a series of daily blog posts and articles on students’ experiences and perspectives on Lent. The 40-day initiative is a collaboration between Yale Logos and Harvard Ichthus, a journal of Christian thought produced by students at Harvard College. 

“If you’re engaged in St. Thomas More, Chi Alpha, Christian Union or other Christian groups on campus, then it’s a lot easier to keep up those practices you did as a child with your family,” Samaratino said.

The 40 days of Lent will be complete on Easter Sunday, a day in which fasting will be broken and students will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus after his death. 

St. Thomas More Chapel is located at 268 Park St.