If you’re looking for more reasons to give up something for Lent, a sociology professor is throwing in her two cents.

And, speaking of money, it’s all about the economy, stupid:

A University of New Hampshire professor claims that Lent can help Catholics make some of the more difficult financial adjustments necessitated by the slowing national economy.

Choosing to make financial sacrifices for religious reasons may help those concerned about the economic downturn, according to Michele Dillon, professor of sociology at UNH.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 6. The Lenten season marks 40 days before Easter Sunday and is a time of reflection on the life of Jesus Christ. Those who observe Lent often give up something as an act of penance, and fast periodically during the season.

“With the downturn in the economy and the general air of recession, individuals and families who feel they need to cut back on certain purchases might use Lent as a timely opportunity to make the sacrifices they feel necessary,” Dillon said. “Making economic sacrifices in the context of Lent, with its emphasis on personal sacrifice for religious reasons, might make some people feel a bit more upbeat about down-sizing some of their consumption habits.”

Dillon said she fully understood that renouncing purchasing for the next 40 days is the exact antithesis of what most economists believe will help the national economy. A drop in consumer confidence — with its concurrent decrease in consumer spending — is consistently cited as a leading factor in the current economic uncertainty gripping the nation.

“(Reducing spending for Lent) won’t help the economy, but it could help individuals deal with their own financial situations,” Dillon said. “It’s a rationalization, in part, but (saying that it is part of a religious obligation) could serve as a way for individuals to preserve their social status.”

According to Dillon, Lent is still relevant to today’s Catholics, but has not been as salient in their lives in the last few decades as it has been in the past.

“Nonetheless, it is an important liturgical and cultural marker, reminding Catholics to take stock of their lives, and in this era of self-indulgence, to practice an element of self-denial by sacrificing some of their cherished everyday consumption habits,” she said. “Lent provides a good pause amidst hectic schedules and a reminder to individuals to review and reassess their larger values and priorities.”

According to Dillon, many American church-going Catholics take Lent quite seriously.

“Even those who would call themselves non-churchgoing ‘cultural Catholics’ are nudged by the date in the calendar (Shrove Tuesday/Ash Wednesday) to at least think about practicing a little bit of self-denial,” she said. “These are times for taking stock of whether they are investing too much in their quest for material possessions.

“It challenges the push toward acquisition that is so prevalent in today’s society,” the UNH professor said.