Lent is an important part of the year for freshmen earlychildhood education major Rachel Crum.
"My friend Lauren and I are going to mass at St. Ann Church onHighland on our days off, and I have given up my favorite food,which is steak," Crum said.
Like other University of Memphis students, Crum celebrates Lentby sacrificing something for 40 days. The Lent season began on AshWednesday, Feb. 25, and will end Easter Sunday.
Lent is one of the liturgical seasons in the Christian calendar,consisting of 40 days, excluding Sundays, said Sampson Gitau,chaplain of the Barth House, the Episcopalian organization at The Uof M.
Lent concludes with the Passion Tide, the two-week period thatincludes Palm Sunday (April 4), Holy Thursday (April 8) and GoodFriday (April 9), said Brenda Kindelan, a campus minister for theUniversity Catholic Center.
"Lent is a period of challenge and opportunity to identify withthe trials of Jesus, during his 40 days in the desert," Gitausaid.
As a part of the task to identify with Jesus, many give uppleasurable things, like candy, cigarettes, alcohol or steaks,during the Lent season, Gitau said.
Although giving up something like meat may sound trivial, forsophomore David Morrison, it has a profound effect.
"Lent means to me that I am going to go hungry on Fridays,"Morrison said.
Observers of Lent are not allowed to eat any kind of meat onFridays. However, there are some who practice Lent that have nospecific diet restrictions.
Despite any differences within religious faiths, Lent is aperiod of discipline, some say.
"I like to call it a time to not give up, but a time to take up-- taking up more diligence in prayer and Bible study or even yourstudy habits," Gitau said.
Lent usually begins with a traditional ash ceremony, wherepeople are sprinkled or rubbed with ashes.
"It is a symbol of repentance and reminds us that we aremortal," Gitau said.
Lent is a big period of repentance for those who celebrate it,along with a time of reconciliation with mankind, Gitau said.Purple is the designated color of Lent because it representsroyalty.
"We are preparing for the resurrection of the King of Kings,"Gitau said.
According to Gitau, historically the Episcopalian Church woulddiscipline some of its members through a form of exile and wouldre-accept them on Easter at the end of the Lent season, reconcilingthem with the church. Many churches still use Lent as time ofpreparation for candidates to be baptized.
There are several religious faiths that do not celebrate Lent,including some Baptists, Jews and Muslims. But each faith hasdifferent reasons for not partaking in the Lent events.
"Generally, Baptists don't participate in any particular Lentevents, but there are some students who choose to give up somethingduring Lent," said Rachelle Pichardo, interim director for The U ofM Baptist Student Union.
The Christian Student Center, another religious organization oncampus, also does not observe Lent. The Christian Student Center isprimarily non-denominational and is associated with the HighlandStreet Church of Christ.
"We don't have that much dealing with Lent," said Steve Cloer,campus ministry apprentice in the Christian Student Center. "Wejust try to go by the Bible and be Christians, and Lent is not inthe Bible."
Although giving something up for 40 days can seem hard, Lentobservers say, the benefits outweigh the costs of sacrifice.
"During Lent, Christians are called to renew themselves throughfasting, praying and almsgiving (giving money or service to thosein need)," said Deacon Jim Schmal, campus minister with theUniversity Catholic Center. "Some come to our Stations of the Crosson Fridays or Communion Services on Wednesday, and othersconcentrate on the spiritual renewal of their lifestyles."
