As the Liturgical season of Lent begins, it is important to remember what this season is all about and to better oneself in order to become closer to the Lord.

Many BGHS students are giving something up for Lent. Isabella Stoppa ‘26 stated, “I am putting my phone down an hour before I go to bed to work on my sleep schedule because it has been all over the place all school year, not allowing me to perform very well in school or in volleyball.” But a Lenten sacrifice doesn’t have to be about only working on yourself, you can also do something to bring you closer to God. Mackenzie Motzny ‘26 revealed that she is “giving something up for Lent because… it just feels right to do it because Jesus gave up stuff for us too.” Remembering the Lord’s sacrifice for us is what Lent is truly about.

One student added something to her daily life to grow stronger in her faith this Lenten season, “One thing that I really wanted to try and add to my day was daily journaling. Everyday I will pick a random quote from the Bible and write how that verse currently can be applied or relate to my life. I wanted to bring scripture more into my life and find a better way of expressing myself and my emotions after dealing with a lot over the last few months,” Kyrene Sideco ‘26 shared. Sideco also said that she was impressed by one of her friends who, one year, “gave up social media which was a big surprise to me especially because our generation is very focused on social media.”

Freshman theology teacher, Ms. Trematerra, also gave some insight on Lent and what it is really about. “It is a time when we are called to grow closer to God and enrich our spiritual lives through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It’s an opportunity to be more aware of how much our Lord loves us and to be thankful for all the blessings we receive each day.” She says during Lent she would encourage students “to do something that will help them grow spiritually…The question is: When we celebrate Easter, did that task help me grow closer to God?”

Ms. Trematerra provides students with resources to figure out what they may want to do to better themselves during Lent, “One year, a number of students took on doing something from…the Busted Halo website. After completing the task, they wrote a brief reflection and talked about how it helped them focus on others and their needs.” She, too, does something every year to better herself during Lent. “For me, what I do for Lent is shaped by ministry, whether I am ministering in a parish, teaching, or volunteering and working outside the Catholic Church. This year, I am adding something to my prayer life that hopefully becomes part of my daily prayers.”

Ms. Sample, theology teacher and Campus Minister, spoke about Lent and what to do in this season as well, “I try to give something up and I add a little something extra. So this year, I’m trying to give up a lot of sugar stuff… I added a book, a Lenten book, that I’m reading that has daily meditations,” she said. She then went on to explain, “Lent is a really intentional time that the Church celebrates, to remember the forty days and forty nights that Jesus went into the desert to fast and to pray. And so it’s a very intentional time of prayer and fasting and almsgiving to help better ourselves and draw closer to God to cut out things in our lives that are maybe separating us from God.”

For some people, Lent may seem like a chore. However, it is a time to grow closer to God and remember what Jesus did for us when he made the ultimate sacrifice of His life for our sins.