She sensed their eyes upon her.
The students in her New Testament class were staring curiously at the black smudge on her forehead. Some asked about the smudge, not realizing it was actually the sign of the cross. It had been drawn on her forehead during morning Mass on Feb. 17 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.
Sophomore Giselle Andujar did not mind her classmates’ questions. She was happy to explain the cross as a profession of her Catholic faith.
It was Ash Wednesday, explained Andujar, and like many Christians, she attended Mass to participate in a ritual known as the imposition of the ashes.
Priests and ministers make the sign of the cross by spreading ashes mixed with oil and water across the foreheads of parishioners. The ashes come from the burned palm leaves of the previous year’s Palm Sunday service.
The clergy members then recite a variation of the words of Genesis 3:19, “Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”
It is a somber acknowledgement of humanity’s mortality; that death is inevitable.
For Christians who observed Ash Wednesday, the imposition of the ashes is an outward symbol of inward repentance.
Lenten Season
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a seasonal period of 40 days of prayer, penitence, fasting and preparation leading up to Easter Sunday.
There are 46 days in the Lenten season, from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, the day before Easter, but Sundays are not included because they commemorate the resurrection of Christ.
Ann Cashiola, director of religious education and liturgy coordinator at Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church, said Lent is a time for renewal and preparation for Christ’s resurrection.
The Way
In order to prepare for Easter, Cashiola said many Christians take time to pray more, give to charities, fast and abstain from things like television and other distractions. She said this helps Christians become more aware of the suffering that Jesus experienced.
She explained that the tradition of Lent originated in the early church, when converts were prepared for baptism over a six-week time period.
But in the modern world, not all denominations practice Lent, including many Protestants.
The denominations that do observe Lent, such as the Catholicism, typically adhere to the liturgical year, a traditional Christian calendar of feasts and scriptural readings, said Dr. J. Matthew Boyleston, interim chair of the department of languages and assistant professor of English and writing.
Boyleston, a devout Episcopalian who observes Lent, said the liturgical year walks believers through the Christian experience annually. Following the calendar, particularly during the time of Lent, is communal in nature, he said.
“Lent is a time when you are trying to make sure nothing gets between you and God, including yourself,” Boyleston said. “Christians help each other out with that.”
Mirroring Christ
Most Christian denominations observe Lent differently, but one constant among the various denominations is the meaning of the time period.
The 40 days are symbolic of the story found in Matthew 4:1-11, in which Jesus Christ fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and nights.
It is a story of endurance, one that many Christians strive to emulate during Lent by practicing what Dr. James Furr, associate professor in Christianity, calls the spiritual disciplines. These include prayer, fasting and reading the Bible, and their purpose is to draw believers closer to God, said Dr. Evan Getz, associate professor in literature.
Getz, who also observes Lent, said these disciplines are about becoming more Christ-like, something many Christians strive to do.
Sacrifice
Practitioners of Lent typically fast, but Dr. David Capes, director of the School of Theology and dean of the Graduate School, said it is about more than sacrificing.
“It’s about shifting our focus back to Christ,” said Capes, who is an elder at Ecclesia Church.
Dr. Jacqueline Horn, chair of the department of biology, who is Catholic, agreed and added that Lent is a time for believers to reflect on what Christ has done for them and continues to do for them.
Andujar said Lent helps her refocus on her Catholic faith, especially when she gets distracted with college work.
Her friend and fellow Catholic, sophomore Martin Andrada, said Lent helps him become a better person.
“It’s not always about what you are giving up, but what else are you putting forth,” Andrada said.
But fasting is one of the most recognized characteristics of Lent, leading to the popular question: “What are you giving up for Lent?”
The Roman Catholic Church has specified numerous ways its adherents can observe Lent, including fasting.
In his “Apostolic Constitution on Penance” published in 1966, Pope Paul VI wrote that all Catholics 14 and older should fast from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all other Fridays during the Lenten season.
Commitment
Some believers feel called to abstain from eating any meat during Lent.
Freshman A.J. Bedruz did this during his sophomore year of high school.
He gave up all animal-derived products for Lent, becoming a vegan for a period of four weeks and six days.
Bedruz said the dramatic shift in his diet caused him to be tired most of the time, and he struggled to find energy to work out.
But Bedruz successfully maintained his Lenten commitment, though for the next two years he did not observe Lent, believing that his experience during his sophomore year counted for several years.
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