The start of Lent – the 40 days before Easter – is typically marked with prayer and ashes. This year, however, Ash Wednesday was met with COVID-19 restrictions and in Texas, a winter storm that left more than 2 million without power that day.
Despite the initial hurdles, some TCU students are still observing the season.
Lent began on February 17, 2021, and ends Saturday, April 3, 2021 this year.
Organizations around TCU such as TCU Catholic and TCU Student Ministry are continuing to honor Lent by hosting weekly worship events such as Mass and Bible studies.
While some students are struggling to celebrate Lent while away from their families, others say that they aren’t forgetting the importance of the season.
“For me, Lent is reflecting on myself and how I can strengthen my relationship with God,” Keelin Degeorge, a TCU junior business major said.
Degeorge said although it is harder to put aside time to focus on her faith while at school, she tries the best she can because she knows how important faith is in her life.
TCU junior political science major Elle Eckersall also explained why Lent is so important to her.
“It is a period of reminding myself of what I am rooted in and choosing to make sacrifices,” Eckersall said. “It reminds me of my purpose here in this world and brings me back to what truly matters.”
Whether it be going to weekly religious celebrations to celebrate the season of Lent, or simply doing something more personal, Lent is still easily celebrated in some student’s lives.
“This year I am honoring Lent by adding something that requires self-discipline into my life and taking time each day to reflect on the grace I have been given to live this life here on earth,” Eckersall said.
Eckersall explained that as the Easter holiday gets closer, she pushes herself to read bible passages that describe the events leading up to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to remind her how grateful she is and what truly matters in her life.
With the Easter holiday quickly approaching, students like Eckersall and Degeorge are making sure they remember the true importance of the season and what it means to them.
