• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Friday, February 27, 1998

Days of inspiration

RELIGION: Many Christians use Lenten season to prepare for Easter renewal

By Carol McKay

Daily Bruin Staff

The season of repentance has begun. Ash Wednesday, the Christian holiday that was celebrated this week kicked off the Lenten season of reflection and sacrifice. And some students at UCLA dove into Lent headfirst, with a ceremony of ashes.

Windy conditions didn't stop over 100 students from gathering at Schoenberg Quad for a noon service of prayer, singing and receiving of the ashes. The service, held by the University Religious Conference, consisted of Biblical readings and psalms, and was attended by students of many faiths.

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter. In the Catholic church, a celebration of ashes takes place, in which burned palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebration are used.

Churchgoers receive a cross of blessed ashes on their foreheads, symbolizing the human origin of dust and penitence.

The custom is assumed to come from the seventh century, according to Pastor Soon Chung of the University Presbyterian Church. Chung said initially, Quadragesima Sunday was observed as the beginning of the Lenten season, and later, Ash Wednesday replaced it.

"It began as a discipline where people would fast. It was a way of (symbolically) dying. Now it is a form of mourning and preparation for Easter," Chung said, explaining that the Easter holiday signifies Christ's rising from the dead to give eternal life.

According to Chung, Lent is observed by many denominations, including Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Methodists; a passage in the Bible - Genesis 3:19 - is usually cited as a reference for Ash Wednesday ceremonies.

"For me, it's a time to reflect on the ways God wants me to change and get ready for Easter," said Jennifer Kyle, a second-year psychology student.

Kyle, who attended the Ash Wednesday service in front of Schoenberg Hall last year, planned to celebrate it on campus again this year, despite last year's questioning looks from students who viewed her grey forehead with confusion.

"I knew a lot of people wouldn't understand what was on my head. Some people actually outright asked me what it was, and others gave me funny looks," Kyle said. "I didn't mind explaining it, because it's not just some dirt."

In more strict times, Lent was a season of abstinence and fasting, in which people ate one meal each day, and cut out meat altogether

Today, it is customary for a person to choose an item to sacrifice for the season, and many students are expected to abstain from meat on Fridays. For students who live on campus, this can be difficult.

"In Catholic school, the cafeteria had "no-meat" Fridays, and I still definitely messed up a lot," said Barbara Williams, a first-year anthropology student. "But here in the dining halls, I think it's going to be even harder to remember."

Kyle, who has attempted to fast in past years, said that it is difficult but possible, and being around friends who can eat whatever they want adds to the challenge.

"It's really hard not to eat," she said, laughing. "But I've learned ways in which it can be easier. I try not to think about not eating food, but instead about how God is going to totally support me. As long as I don't focus on not eating, I can do it."

In addition to abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, some students plan to cut out personal favorites such as chocolate or soda, and others try to add a positive challenge for the season.

"I want to be a more joyful person," Kyle said, explaining her goals for the season. "I'm going to try to be a more loving person and to love everybody.

"Even the ones that are difficult to love," she added with a laugh.

Williams said she plans to sacrifice something close to her heart: chocolate and Coke.

"I'm giving up caffeine. And it's going to be tough," said Williams. "My mom just gave me a big box of chocolates, and I'm probably going to have to force my roommates to eat it with me by Tuesday."

Williams said that she drinks a lot of soda, coffee and tea, and avoiding caffeine will take quite an effort. So before the suffering begins, she had big plans to indulge in the days before Lent begins.

Williams is not alone in her tendency toward excess before Lent begins. Mardi Gras - also known as Fat Tuesday - is a holiday designed solely for that purpose.

"You need to get it out of your system," she said.

Lavish Mardi Gras celebrations take place around the world, with New Orleans, and Rio de Janeiro topping the list of famous party locations. The festivities are marked by extravagant parades, ornate costumes and, most of all, crazy behavior.

The celebrations last for days and are characterized by flamboyance and irreverence. But then the penitence begins.

"It's a time of self-examination and renewal," Chung said. And will power.

DAVID HILL

Ted Vierra (right) puts ashes on a student participating in the Ash Wednesday services performed in the Schoenberg Quad.