You walk into school or work on a random Wednesday in February or March. You see someone with a smudge of black dirt on their forehead. You panic and think. "Do I tell them? Is it ink? Is it dirt?"

Then you remember. It is Ash Wednesday.

Lent has arrived.

For many Catholic youth in Hawaii, Lent means two things:

No meat on Fridays (which usually means a lot of Filet-O-Fish or cheese pizza).

Trying to give up soda or boba for 40 days and failing by Day 3.

But Lent is way more than just a diet or a test of willpower. It is a spiritual bootcamp designed to get us ready for the biggest event in history: Easter.

What is Lent?

Lent is a 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday.

Why 40 days? Because Jesus spent 40 days in the desert fasting and praying before He started His public ministry. If the Son of God needed time to prepare and strengthen His spirit, we definitely do too.

Think of it like pre-season training for athletes. You run drills, you eat clean, and you focus so that when Game Day (Easter) comes, you are ready to celebrate the victory.

The Three Pillars (Your Training Plan)

During Lent, the Church asks us to focus on three things. Think of them as the three legs of a stool. If you only do one, you fall over.

1. Prayer (Connection)

This doesn't mean you have to live in the chapel. It means intentionally adding God into your schedule.

The Challenge: Set an alarm on your phone for 3:00 PM (the hour Jesus died). Stop whatever you are doing for just 30 seconds and say, "Jesus, I trust in You."

The Local Twist: Go to Stations of the Cross at your parish on Fridays. It is usually followed by a simple soup meatless dinner. It is a great way to bond with the community.

2. Fasting (Discipline)

This is the one everyone talks about.

The Rules: Catholics ages 18-59 fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (one full meal, two smaller snacks). Everyone 14+ abstains from meat on Fridays.

The "Loophole": In Hawaii, giving up meat isn't always hard because we have amazing seafood. Eating a lavish sushi dinner or lobster on Friday technically follows the "no meat" rule, but it misses the point.

The Real Challenge: Fast from things that distract you. Give up TikTok. Give up gossip. Give up talking back to your parents. Or, referencing our last topic, give up comparing yourself to your cousins.

3. Almsgiving (Generosity)

This means giving to those in need.

The Challenge: It is not just about money. Can you give your time? Help your grandma clean the yard. Volunteer at the parish food pantry. Sit with the kid at school who eats lunch alone.

Why the Ashes?

On Ash Wednesday, the priest traces a cross on your forehead and says, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

It sounds harsh, but it is actually freeing. It is a reminder that we are not God. We are human. We make mistakes. We are messy. And one day, our time here will end.

The ashes remind us that all the likes, the grades, the money, and the clout... it is all temporary. The only thing that lasts is God's love.

Don't Just "Give Up"—"Take Up"

This year, instead of just saying "I am giving up chocolate" (and then being grumpy about it), try "taking up" something.

Take up silence. Take up kindness. Take up a few minutes of Adoration.

Lent isn't about making yourself miserable. It is about clearing out the junk in your heart to make room for Jesus.

Have a blessed Lent, Saints in Training!