“What are you giving up for Lent?” is a question that many of us have answered for years. We sometimes respond with answers like “chocolate” or “smoking.” Though we know that life may not change for us whether or not we give up our favorite treats, we seem to feel that the sacrifice is all we can do to make the world a better place during the Lenten season.

Of course, as a child, Lent has several meanings. One of those meanings, for me, included fish and macaroni for dinner on Friday nights after attending Stations of the Cross and a prayer service with my family. One year, if I had been asked what I was giving up for Lent, I might have replied, “Saturdays.” During my second grade year at Saint Martin de Porres School in Kansas City, there was no Communion preparation class because most of the children were not Catholic. This meant that I would have to prepare for my first Holy Communion on my own. Every Saturday for eight weeks I was to visit the rectory of Blessed Sacrament Church for lessons with Fr. Branson. On the day of the first lesson, however, I was pleasantly surprised to see two of my classmates sacrificing a Saturday afternoon at church as well. It was comforting to know that there were other children who were experiencing the same deprivation of a Saturday afternoon.

The three of us were required to read from a special book and answer questions in a workbook in order to prepare for First Holy Communion. Sometimes we would have to draw pictures and ask our family members questions and bring them with us to class on the next Saturday. When we would share our answers we began to laugh because our responses were so similar. We had bonded because our mothers had signed us up for a class on Saturday afternoons. We became friends because our Catholic faith had shown us how similar we all were. Later that spring we all received First Holy Communion together at Blessed Sacrament Church. For the rest of our time at Saint Martin’s we remained buddies. Lent that year meant learning about God, deepening my faith, and gaining two new friends.

Lent simply means “spring season.” During the spring season we see many changes in our environment, including the melting of snow to make way for the blossoming of flowers.

In the Church, however, Lent refers to the time in Jesus’ life when he retreated to the desert and reflected on his life for forty days and forty nights. It is during this time that we will observe many believers as they continue to study the Church’s teachings and grow in the faith in preparation for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, first Holy Communion, or Confirmation. This year, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5, and ends on Holy Thursday, April 17, with the beginning of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

As we reflect upon what the season of Lent means for us, for myself it is not about kicking a chocolate habit or sacrificing a favorite television show. It is about growth.

In much the same way that the flower buds strengthen themselves by sprouting roots and stems as they prepare to present themselves to the world as blossoms, we as Catholics must also burrow deep within our faith, hold fast to the love of God, and strongly deliver our growth in our life as members of our faith community. In our times of uncertainty, growing in faith over a period of forty days and forty nights seems like a small sacrifice.