Special to The B.C. Catholic
Many on the UBC campus are not aware a collection of theological colleges exists on the campus, but on Ash Wednesday, shortly after noon, the chapel is almost filled with choir, musicians, students, faculty, staff and two Jesuit priests.
βBe merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.β Psalm 51 calls our attention to the Ash Wednesday liturgy as the gathered community solemnly proceed to the front of the church to be marked with the sign of the cross in ashes on their forehead.
Father Robert Allore, SJ, gently reminds us of some of the distinct aspects of Lent in his homily. As we hear in the hymn, βYou make beautiful things out of dust.β No matter what Father Rob says, he always reminds us of grace and how much Jesus loves us.
The lyrics βWe rise again from ashesβ accompany us as we go out to the places where God has given us responsibility on campus. A lucky few are able to go into the Lenten talk and lunch of homemade soup in Platoβs Cave which will be provided each week by a different group of the faculty and staff of the colleges.
The table talk was, βWhat are you giving up this year?β This year I am not going to give up, but to add on. Last year was so good, I have decided to do it again.
Each day, you write a note of thanks to someone who by their life enriched your life. Choosing the 40 people was easy β writing the letters took time and thought.
But the letters made some people so very happy and so I am doing it again. What are you doing this Lent?
