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"O my poor people, put on sackcloth, and roll in ashes. Make mourning as for an only child, most bitter lamentation ... " Centuries ago it was the custom at the beginning of Lent to sprinkle ashes on public sinners as they came to the church in repentance. Now we acknowledge publicly that we are all sinners in need of repentance. Carrying the ashes on our foreheads indicates our willingness to do penance for our sins. Prepare an "ash" or two: Write a problem, a disappointment, a concern of your heart on a small piece of paper; light a candle and let the flame consume the paper as you release its content into God's hands, letting it rise to God as a smoke-accompanied prayer. (Joan Cole)
The ashes we receive on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday are an annual reminder of the passage of time and our constant need of repentance. The ashes were made from burning the palms, which had been blessed on the previous Palm Sunday. We had waved palms in praise of Christ at the beginning of Holy Week, and now we must call to mind humbly that we have failed him many times since then. Even in their origin, therefore, palms show the passing of this world and all created things. Centuries ago it was the custom at the beginning of Lent to sprinkle ashes on public sinners as they came to the church in repentance. Now we acknowledge publicly that we are all sinners and in need of repentance. Carrying the ashes on our foreheads indicates our willingness to do penance for our sins. The traditional words used as the ashes are placed provide a timely reflection: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return." The alternative verse used in many churches focuses our attention on the deep meaning of our Lenten observance. "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel."
Forty Days What's all this about forty days? Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, and that makes forty-six days. The answer is that we do not count Sundays in the forty days of Lent. It was quite early in the history of the church that the preparation for Easter took the form of forty days of special prayer and penance. The number forty was in imitation of Christ who spent forty days in the desert. The Christians in the eastern tradition needed seven weeks to complete their forty days because they excluded Saturday as well as Sunday from the days of penance. The western tradition excluded Sunday only, so six weeks provided thirty-six days, nearly enough. Still four days more were needed to make up the forty. The solution was to start Lent four days before the first Sunday. They did this in the seventh century, and so we have Ash Wednesday forty days (and six Sundays) before Easter. Do you wish your prayer to fly toward God? Give it two wings: fasting and almsgiving. -- Saint Augustine The law of abstinence obliges those 14 years of age and older not to eat meat. The law of fast obliges all those from ages 18 through 59 to refrain from eating between meals and to limit their eating to one full meal and two lighter meals for the day. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of both fast and abstinence. The Origin of the Way of the Cross One of the most popular prayers of Lent is to make the Stations of the Cross. This devotion dates back to the twelfth century when devotion to the passion of Christ was promoted by many of the veterans of the Crusades. These Christian soldiers set up stations in their home churches of the places they had seen and venerated in the Holy Land. This prayer centers on fourteen chosen representations of the sufferings of Christ on his way to Calvary.
Sent by Fr. Adrian Magnait |
