GIVING UP YOUR ISHMAEL
As the world took a sudden shift as of 2020, we interviewed Nikita Lowton, a catholic woman, wife and mother of two,
who shares her experience of Lent this year and how this experience has shifted drastically since the lockdown due to
Covid 19 and how she and her family restructured their practices and made it fruitful despite the circumstances.
The enthusiastic and positive Nikita shares “There was definitely something missing this year, usually there is a procession
where we meet at specific point and walk to our churches from there. We receive the palms from church and take them
home. All the left over palms get dried and burned for Ash Wednesday which begins the fast for the next year.”
Palms procession or Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of lent which, according to the Catholic faith, commemorates the
triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem. Palm branches are used and carried as widely recognized symbol of peace and
victory. During the Palm Sunday Mass, the palms are distributed and then fashioned into personal items of devotion. It is
not permissible to throw away the palms as they are sacramental.
“This year we had a live stream of the procession. We observed our priest share sermons online. We sent pictures to our
family members as well as sharing spiritual scriptures.”
Nikita shares images that she shared with members of her family: palms are displayed in various sections of her home
near doorways and entrances (see images).
When asked what fasting means to her as an individual, Nikita tells us that as a child she practiced giving up something she
liked then. She says:
“As a child I gave up sweets or something of that nature. As I grew older, I learnt that fasting is giving away luxuries. Forty
Items of clothing that you know would be of good use to someone else. Something someone else would appreciate.”
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