Let There Be Meat!

Angela Guiao
MSMU Class of 2021

Growing up in a Roman Catholic family, I used to dread Lent. I absolutely hated the idea of not eating meat on Fridays, and I never had any ideas of what exactly I should "give up" that season. It was difficult to try to come up with something which would hold meaning but would still be possible.

As a young child, my mother was very involved in bible studies. She, and a bunch of her friends would get together to worship God through songs and talk about their faith. Lucky for me, bible studies always took place on Fridays.

Now, my mother’s friends could cook very well. They were experts in Filipino cuisine. So, when Lent came around and delicious pork and beef dishes would degrade into leafy greens and veggie platters, my hungry heart would break silently inside.

Why? I used to ask myself. Why did we have to give up meat? Why did I have to give up watching T.V., or eating chips, or sweets? How does change me? What am I supposed to learn? I never understood the importance of giving up things that made me happy for no particular reason. At least, from the point-of-view of my 7-year-old mind, there was absolutely no reason at all. We did it because "that’s what God wants us to do" my mother used to tell me. And usually, I wouldn’t say anything after that because what could I say?

Now, for those of you who don’t know what Lent is, let me give you a little background information. The Lenten season is a period of 40 days where people fast or abstain from their guilty pleasures, bad attitudes, or just try to better themselves in some way, whether that be living a healthier lifestyle or growing closer to God. Beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Sunday, the forty-day season is comparable to Jesus’ forty days in the desert, which he spent fasting. Or it may be similar to the Israelites forty days in the wilderness, where their faith in God was tested.

Fast forward and Christian today celebrate lent where they fast and abstain from the things that they like or attitudes that can hurt as an attempt to show their devotion to God. It’s meant to cleanse the soul and show that we can control ourselves and restrict our self-indulgence as proof of our devotion to God.

Now that I’m older, Lent has found a new meaning for me. It represents change and the betterment of myself. It’s no longer just about giving up my favorite foods or pastimes, but rather a self-reflection on my personality and who I had transformed into. It became a chance to reinvent myself every year; almost like a wake-up call to try to live more in God’s image.

In high school, it started off simply. Freshman year: Don’t judge others. Sophomore year: Say only positive things about others. Junior year: talk to people you wouldn’t normally talk to. And finally, Senior year: Focus on the good you see instead of the bad. They were simple things, but I can tell you that until today, I still try to do the things I decided to do during Lent.

Lent had become so much more than giving up the things I like. I had become more about discipline, more about change, and more about living as Jesus would. I think now, I focus more on the self-discipline, the self-reflection that is a part of Lent rather than the sacrifice.

Before, I used to give up my favorite food and count down the days until I could eat it again. I used to question why God would want me to give up something that makes me happy. And that’s when I realized that he doesn’t. The point of Lenten season, at least for me, is for us to realize that those little things, those little guilty pleasures, are things that we can live without. Lent is not meant to deprive us of the things that make us happy but show us that the wrong things are making us happy.

While we give importance to things like foods, electronics, sweets, and all that other junk we miss that the point of Lent is to focus less on the miniscule, unimportant things and more so on the things that matter:

This Lent, I’ve decided that I would give up trying to please others. It’s a weird thing to say and an even weirder thing to hear because it doesn’t sound particularly sinful. But I’ve realized that in my effort to do things that make others happy, I’ve forgotten about the things that make me happy. Jesus did not live to please others. He lived and died for our salvation, for our chance to be happy and live the lives we want.

So, I decided to focus on myself and on the things that I like to spend time doing, like writing for this newspaper, and spending time with the people that matter most to me. I decided to get rid of the things that don’t hold much value in my life, and to focus more on the betterment of myself. As I’ve realized, trying to please others really brings me to a place where I forget who I really am.

So, here’s to a joyful Lenten season, and the betterment of ourselves! May we all find fulfillment and understanding in our reflections. May we all become better people because of it. Jesus wants us to love, understand and live in his name. And may we all give our best effort to try and do exactly that. Happy Lenten Season!

P.S. I’m still a little disappointed in no-meat Fridays.

Read other articles by Angela Tongohan