Yesterday on approaching the Most Blessed Sacrament, I felt myself burning and I had to withdraw. I am astounded that so many who receive Jesus are not reduced to ashes.
St. Gemma Galgani
Today is Ash Wednesday which begins the 40 day preparation for the holiest Christian feast--Easter. Catholics go to Mass and the priest makes a sign of the cross with blessed ashes made from burnt palms from the previous Palm Sunday on their foreheads. The priest then says,
Remember man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.
or,
Repent and believe in the Gospel.
We will all die and "turn to ashes." Therefore, we must look inward during this penitential season and repent of our sins before God.
Ashes have long been a symbol of penitence. In the Old Testament,
all the Israelite men, women and children who lived in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple building, with ashes strewn on their heads, displaying their sackcloth covering before the Lord. (Jdt 4:11; see also 4:15 and 9:1).
Jesus mentions sackcloth and ashes as a sign of repentance as well.
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. (Mt 11:21, Lk 10:13)
Our culture does not put much credence in such things as sin and repentance, or even death, although they are all around us. Well, humankind still sins and will die; Therefore, we all need the grace that repentance brings--perhaps now more than ever.
Lent is a reminder to us that we, as human beings, are not the be-all and the end-all of the universe. There is a Greater Good--much greater than we can ever conceive of. Let us turn to Him in our prayers daily during this Lent, asking for the grace to do His will.
6 comments:
Beautiful quotation at the beginning. Just remarkable...
I'll be receiving my ashes tonight. I'm looking forward to it, as I've always loved Ash Wednesday.
Its amazing to me that Ash Wednesday is so highly attended, yet it is not technically a holy day of obligation.
Still, it is the beginning of Lent, so it is an important day. I love Ash Wednesday myself and going out to eat fish afterwards. I just feel like I'm especially Catholic on those fridays. I typically don't eat meat any Friday though anymore.
I agree, Moneybags. Ash Wednesday *is* a special day and very important to remind us that indeed, we *are* dust and unto dust we shall return.
I really would like to be able to remember not to eat meat on all Fridays. I'll have to pray for the grace to do that.
I just recently started no meat on any friday, and it's been very spiritual. I try to post reminders on my blog each Friday of the year so people will remember.
Have a blessed Lent
I appreciate your reminders, thanks! It is so little known that the no meat on Friday (or another penance) is still on the books.
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