Campus Ministry

As a first-year student at UD, this was my first time participating in the UD Lenten Challenge. This year, the UD Lenten Challenge consisted of 6 challenges (one for each week of Lent) that encouraged the UD community to give up something that would challenge them and help them to grow spiritually.

Whether we were fasting from all drinks but water or from complaining, gossiping, and swearing, each new challenge was an opportunity for growth in a different aspect of one’s life and faith. I liked giving up something new each week because it pushed me to think about different parts of my life that I could change and make better instead of just one. Fasting from sweets helped me to focus on the ways in which I can improve my health while fasting from social media helped me to focus on my faith even more without that extra distraction.

Participating in the same challenges with others each week was a great way to build even more community on campus as students and faculty were able to bond over their experiences. A challenge like this is something that starts spiritual conversations; it makes Lent a more social time in which we can travel on our spiritual journeys toward the risen Christ together.