Chocolate: A time to give or give up

As stores across America fill shelves with Cadbury Crème Eggs, milk chocolate bunnies and brightly colored Peeps, many Christians are fighting the marshmallow-laced temptations and opting for a period of fasting, moderation and repentance.

It's that time of year.  It's Easter.

And while people dressed as bunnies in malls adorn the season with furry hugs and picture poses, the time also is set aside for Christians to reflect on Jesus Christ, particularly his teachings, his sacrifice and his resurrection.

"We tend to find our comfort in chocolate or a cocktail at the expense of being more in tune with what really sustains us, which is our relationship with God," said the Rev. Ann Ralosky of First Congregational Church.

"The stores are ahead of the game."

In many stores, novelty candy starts to sell weeks before the actual holiday.

At the CVS Pharmacy on Claremont Avenue, the shelves were stocked with Easter candy shortly after Valentine's Day, saidShift Supervisor Donna Debiase. "We go from one season to the next," Debiase said.

But at The Chocolate Path, which sells specialty dark chocolates, store owner Susan Fine won't start putting out dark chocolate bunnies and truffle-filled eggs until two weeks before Easter.

"People feel better giving up candy, but they have a harder time giving up chocolate because they get more pleasure out of it," Fine said.

Lent, which began yesterday, Ash Wednesday, is the season of preparation in the weeks leading up to Easter, lasting for 40days, not including Sundays in the count.

The season is mostly observed, not by all, but many Christian denominations, including Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians and other Anglican denominations.

Roman Catholics, especially those between the ages of 14 and 59, are encouraged to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, and during that time those between 18 and 59 should fast and eat only light meals, said the Rev. Aro Nathan of Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church.

Prayer during Lent also is encouraged, as well as giving to charities for the homeless and the poor, as the Immaculate parish does, Nathan said.

"It's not a command. It's encouraging practices of little sacrifices, as Jesus did. We follow Jesus in his way. He fasted, he prayed and died on the cross to give us salvation. That is what we remember during lent."

In some countries, such as Nicaragua, crowds of Catholics are lead by a priest for a three-hour procession through town, usually accompanied by someone dressed to imitate Christ carrying a large wooden cross with them through the streets, walking barefoot.

In Montclair, many churches began Lent yesterday with public services.

The First Congregational Church observed the beginning of Lent last night with an Ash Wednesday service in its neo-gothic sanctuary. The service included the giving of the Holy Communion and the imposition of ashes.

Lent is not mentioned in the Bible, though the practice of repentance and ashes is particularly found in what Christians call the Old Testament.

Ashes are a reminder of mortality, and when given, a pastor or religious leader says, "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return," from the book of Genesis.

As stores across America fill shelves with Cadbury Crème Eggs, milk chocolate bunnies and brightly colored Peeps, many Christians are fighting the marshmallow-laced temptations and opting for a period of fasting, moderation and repentance.

It's that time of year.

It's Easter.

And while people dressed as bunnies in malls adorn the season with furry hugs and picture poses, the time also is set aside for Christians to reflect on Jesus Christ, particularly his teachings, his sacrifice and his resurrection.

"We tend to find our comfort in chocolate or a cocktail at the expense of being more in tune with what really sustains us, which is our relationship with God," said the Rev. Ann Ralosky of First Congregational Church.

"The stores are ahead of the game."

In many stores, novelty candy starts to sell weeks before the actual holiday.

At the CVS Pharmacy on Claremont Avenue, the shelves were stocked with Easter candy shortly after Valentine's Day, saidShift Supervisor Donna Debiase. "We go from one season to the next," Debiase said.

But at The Chocolate Path, which sells specialty dark chocolates, store owner Susan Fine won't start putting out dark chocolate bunnies and truffle-filled eggs until two weeks before Easter.

"People feel better giving up candy, but they have a harder time giving up chocolate because they get more pleasure out of it," Fine said.

Lent, which began yesterday, Ash Wednesday, is the season of preparation in the weeks leading up to Easter, lasting for 40days, not including Sundays in the count.

The season is mostly observed, not by all, but many Christian denominations, including Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians and other Anglican denominations.

Roman Catholics, especially those between the ages of 14 and 59, are encouraged to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, and during that time those between 18 and 59 should fast and eat only light meals, said the Rev. Aro Nathan of Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church.

Prayer during Lent also is encouraged, as well as giving to charities for the homeless and the poor, as the Immaculate parish does, Nathan said.

"It's not a command. It's encouraging practices of little sacrifices, as Jesus did. We follow Jesus in his way. He fasted, he prayed and died on the cross to give us salvation. That is what we remember during lent."

In some countries, such as Nicaragua, crowds of Catholics are lead by a priest for a three-hour procession through town, usually accompanied by someone dressed to imitate Christ carrying a large wooden cross with them through the streets, walking barefoot.

In Montclair, many churches began Lent yesterday with public services.

The First Congregational Church observed the beginning of Lent last night with an Ash Wednesday service in its neo-gothic sanctuary. The service included the giving of the Holy Communion and the imposition of ashes.

Lent is not mentioned in the Bible, though the practice of repentance and ashes is particularly found in what Christians call the Old Testament.

Ashes are a reminder of mortality, and when given, a pastor or religious leader says, "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return," from the book of Genesis.

"It's a season that developed as Christianity developed," Raloksy said. "Christianity came out of Judaism, and around High Holy festivals [about 2,000 years ago] the idea of atonement for one's sins was very important."

"While a person was praying and fasting to get right with God, there were a lot of symbolic gestures, and one was the wearing of ashes."

The season of Lent has also traditionally been a time of self-denial in order to become more aware of "God's presence in our lives," Ralosky said.

"The comforts and the things we rely on, the habits, how we eat and how we spend our time can sometimes create a barrier between ourselves and our need for God," she said.

"When the stores are getting ahead of us, while we're trying to hold back from those things, it's a particular challenge. But I don't think it's unique to the season. We live in a world of such access and instant gratification. Where everything is at our fingers at the push of a button. We can really grow numb to what we need as a human being."

Lent is also a time to re-evaluate lifestyles, and not always think about what to give up, she said.

Volunteering in a soup kitchen or calling someone who is lonely are other ways in which to honor Lent, she said.

Ralosky added, "Sometimes the riskier thing to do is to engage more deeply in the world. Maybe it's not what we don't do, but we dare to do."

The Rev. Paul Leggett of Grace Presbyterian Church said Lent can be about "adding things into your life, rather than taking things out of it."

Leggett said that while he thinks his congregants can observe Lent however they'd like, it can be a time for study, meditation and prayer.

"I don't think Lent is so much about giving up as much as it is about going deeper into your faith," he said.

"If I give up chocolate, that doesn't make me a better Christian. I'm a better Christian by having better relationship with Jesus Christ, or having a better understanding of what my faith is."

Contact Tanya Drobness at drobness@montclairtimes.com.

"It's a season that developed as Christianity developed," Raloksy said. "Christianity came out of Judaism, and around High Holy festivals [about 2,000 years ago] the idea of atonement for one's sins was very important."

"While a person was praying and fasting to get right with God, there were a lot of symbolic gestures, and one was the wearing of ashes."

The season of Lent has also traditionally been a time of self-denial in order to become more aware of "God's presence in our lives," Ralosky said.

"The comforts and the things we rely on, the habits, how we eat and how we spend our time can sometimes create a barrier between ourselves and our need for God," she said.

"When the stores are getting ahead of us, while we're trying to hold back from those things, it's a particular challenge. But I don't think it's unique to the season. We live in a world of such access and instant gratification. Where everything is at our fingers at the push of a button. We can really grow numb to what we need as a human being."

Lent is also a time to re-evaluate lifestyles, and not always think about what to give up, she said.

Volunteering in a soup kitchen or calling someone who is lonely are other ways in which to honor Lent, she said.

Ralosky added, "Sometimes the riskier thing to do is to engage more deeply in the world. Maybe it's not what we don't do, but we dare to do."

The Rev. Paul Leggett of Grace Presbyterian Church said Lent can be about "adding things into your life, rather than taking things out of it."

Leggett said that while he thinks his congregants can observe Lent however they'd like, it can be a time for study, meditation and prayer.

"I don't think Lent is so much about giving up as much as it is about going deeper into your faith," he said.

"If I give up chocolate, that doesn't make me a better Christian. I'm a better Christian by having better relationship with Jesus Christ, or having a better understanding of what my faith is."