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.