ASH Wednesday is the first day of lent season. It is a solemn event when Catholics repent for their sins often through fasting, praying, and keeping themselves from indulging in alcohol and certain types of food like meat.
When asked about Ash Wednesday, Lance Guevara, 22 years old, immediately associates it with church, given that he is an altar server.
Describing his day, Lance shared, “As normal, [the] only difference is that we go get ashes on our forehead.” People get ashes on their forehead in the form of a cross. This is done as an act remembering the start of the 40-day season of lent. Putting ashes on our forehead is also a sign of repentance for our sins.
Lei Andre Marciano, 21 years old, claimed to do this with his family then spends time together at home. Although he identifies as religious, Lei admitted that he does not do all the practices on Ash Wednesday.
Lei shared, “Even if I am religious, I don’t fast during Ash Wednesday.” Fasting is practiced by the Catholics for the same reason as putting ashes on their heads.
The practice of fasting
In fasting, Catholics limit their food intake. Specifically on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics are only allowed to have one full meal and two smaller ones that would not equate to one full meal when combined.
When Catholics do this, they are denying their own desires and pleasure to repent sins and join Christ in His suffering. It is also done to remind them that spiritual things are more important than physical things.
Lance commits to this, stating that he only eats fish during Holy Week. Meanwhile, this practice is challenging for Faithy, a 22 year old who claimed to be committed to serve the Lord.
“Honestly, it’s hard to practice fasting but yearly I try so hard to do it. In our family, every Friday we avoid eating meat, but chicken is fine to consume since it is white meat,” she shared.
This speaks volumes on the different interpretations of fasting rules, or even in general penitential practices among Gen Zs. Some strictly follow them, and some don’t.
The level of compliance among Gen Zs could be affected by several factors, including the environment or practices of their family that they grow up with. Someone who grew up in a family with a strong belief may strictly comply with the practice.
However, some may not have that much of a choice to comply due to health reasons, including those who are mentally or physically ill, pregnant and breastfeeding women.
One of them is 21-year old Nicole Semilla who can’t fast because of her health condition. “I don’t strictly fast during the entire penitential period since I have an ulcer so I need to eat on time,” she shared.
Authenticity vs. superficiality
For Faithy, some individuals in her generation seem to be engaging in superficial practices, saying, “I think there are many Gen Z’s who practice the “porma over substance” trait. Simply, they are aware that they need to have cross ashes on their forehead, but they are clueless about the deep and essential reason behind it.”
Faithy mentioning “porma (fashion) over substance” refers to some Gen Zs who show up to church for the sake of dressing up and pictures, engaging with the practice without knowing the real essence of what they’re doing. This could be one of the reasons why others unconsciously fail to observe the practice.
Jhon Lampas, 24, who also serves at the church, has a piece of advice for Gen Zs who are not aware of the practices. “I think they needed more knowledge and teachings about this season in the Catholic Church because this is what a Christian should do.”
Lance, on the other hand, expressed acceptance and understanding for those individuals.
“It’s not for everyone obviously, but if they want to learn, then they’re free to,” he explained.
Not knowing these practices or not doing them is not entirely wrong, but the openness to learning the ways to reflect and repent is important. Understanding these practices and their essence may take time, but it is not too late to start trying.
For Gen Zs, doing these practices is as important as knowing them, preserving the essence of the lenten season until the next generation. But it is also crucial not to shame those who prefer not to engage, as individuals can follow these traditions at their own pace and choice.
