What did you give up for Lent?

It’s a question many Catholics (and others) on campus have been asking for several weeks, and it is one with some very interesting answers.

As a Catholic university, Marquette often observes Catholic liturgical seasons — like Lent — by having Campus Ministry facilitate extra Masses or adding extra vegetarian dishes to the dining hall menus on Fridays. Giving up items (including meat on Fridays) falls to individual students. Between the dining hall menus, Ash Wednesday smudges and all your friends giving up candy and Diet Coke, it’s hard to miss Lent.

Lent is a great time in the church year for Catholics to make sacrifices or add practices to their daily lives. For some, Lent becomes a contest to see who can give up the craziest thing — yeah, we’re talking about you, person who gave up Facebook, Twitter and anything containing sugar — or a personal challenge with yourself to give up something “better” than last year.

If you do not give things up for Lent, consider trying the practice out, even with Lent halfway through. Consider it a New Year’s resolution that you actually stick to. It doesn’t always have to be a challenge to “one-up” yourself or your friends, but breaking a bad habit or improving yourself in some way can only make you better in the long run.

Many people, Catholic or not, do give things up for Lent but fail to take the time to reflect on why they are giving those things up. Lent is about sacrifice, but it’s also about reflection, and we think that is one sentiment to be mindful of for the rest of the spring semester.

Reflection is a key Jesuit step in prayer for a reason. We should all take time to reflect on our lives, whether it’s for five minutes a day or a hour-long guided meditation session. Especially for Lent, Campus Ministry is offering additional Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament services, stations of the cross, traditional prayer services and Taize prayer services at the Chapel of the Holy Family, the Joan of Arc Chapel and Calvary Presbyterian Church.

Even if you do not celebrate Lent, the beginning of spring is a great time to reflect on your school year so far, your college experience or even your daily life. As Marquette students, we are often too busy with classes and jobs and social activities to just take time to think.

Lent can be a great time to take time to relax and reflect at a quiet spot on campus. Or, take advantage of the spring-like weather and go for a walk, bike-ride or rollerblading adventure by the shore of Lake Michigan.

For a non-Catholic reflective experience that is more structured, consider venturing over to the Shambhala Meditation center on Oakland Avenue that offers free weekly Buddhist meditation sessions. It’s just one example of a variety of opportunities for students to take this time of the year to reflect.

This point in time is also where the school year begins to wind down and — sorry seniors — another year at Marquette comes to a close. Even spring break can be a great time to reflect on the first half of the semester or where you want the rest of your semester to go.

Catholic Lenten practices may not be for everyone, but taking time to reflect is something we can all try in our own way.