Abundance and Gratitude
Mar 11, 2026 | By John Kiely MC ‘26
Growing up, my family attentively observed the Catholic fasting rules of Lent. Because it was easy to incorporate these rules into our scheduled meals, which were sometimes vegetarian anyway, they never created much of a problem for us on Fridays. Just another thing to keep in mind when making the shopping list. In fact, some of my favorite dinners, like hard-boiled egg and cheese sandwiches (they’re much better than they sound) were only served during Lent in my house. Not because there’s something wrong with eating them during the rest of the year, but because that’s just the routine my family fell into. Maybe that’s why I like them.
Since coming to college, though, navigating the rules of Lent has proved to be a little bit more difficult. It’s one thing when you just need to keep away from the ham in the drawer in your fridge, but it’s another when you swipe into the dining hall, and a platter of fried chicken or ribs is presented so alluringly right in front of you. To make matters worse, my nonreligious friends are always perplexed when I avoid the meat options and load my plate with vegetables, rice, and cold tuna instead. And I must admit, at times, the rules can feel a little bit arbitrary, given that it would be perfectly acceptable to consume meat just twenty-four hours before.
Spending time with more direct exposure to people who do not fast and think it’s silly has made me think more about the reasons why it is important. Cultivating discipline is good, but the most impactful part has been the sense of gratitude instilled in me. Only by abstaining from what we want is it possible to really appreciate what we have. Many people today live with access to a level of abundance that would be astounding to much of the past and present human population, but it feels totally ordinary to us. I even get disgruntled when I see a main course in the dining hall that I don’t particularly like, rather than being thankful for the dozens of other options offered.
Lent should be a time for us all to step back, wake up from our own messy lives, and appreciate the myriad of wonderful people and things we have right in front of us.