It was not long
ago that it was announced in a parish that the diocesan bishop would be coming
to the parish on a pastoral visit. This great event of the bishop’s visit once
in four years due to the large size of the diocese was marked with a great
preparation. There were renovations within the Church premises, decorations,
clean ups, etc just to prepare for the great event of the bishop’s visit. This
is an indication that most often, important and remarkable things do not just
happen without serious preparations. For an ordination and profession to take place there must have been a period of
formation, for graduation, a period of scholarly involvements, serious academic struggles
and scholarship, for
marriage, a period of courtship and even for Christmas, a period of advent.
characters have several implications for us. In the first reading, we are
presented with the character of repentance. Repentance in Judaism is known as teshuva
literally meaning “return”. Teshuva implies a return to Yahweh which
a sinner makes after committing sin. Christianity therefore adopted this
meaning. Thus, in repentance, the sinner abandons his old and evil way of life
and returns to God in a new and holy way of life. That is why the first reading
asks the bride and bridegroom to leave their clove and bedroom, and the priests
and ministers of the Lord to turn to the Lord and lament for Him to spare his
people. In repentance we turn away from sin, turn to the lord, admit our
faults, confess our sins and ask for His pardon.
Therefore, the Church as the Vehicle of Salvation has also deemed it wise to
prepare Her members for the re-enactment of the Sacred Mysteries of the Death and Resurrection of Our Lord. That is why today being “Ash Wednesday”, we are
launched into this great season of preparation we all regard as the Lenten
season or period.
Today’s liturgy
has two special characters: repentance and preparation. These special
To make us more conscious of the need for repentance, the Church adopts from
the Jewish culture, the sacred use of ashes. That is why in this Mass, the ashes from the palm fronts blessed last palm
Sunday will be blessed and applied on us. These ashes remind us of our
nothingness before God who we rebel against by our sins. It also reminds us
that we came from dust and shall return to dust. When it is applied on us, it
also depicts sorrow for our sins just as the Ninivites did. For these reasons,
today is called Ash Wednesday.
The gospel reading presents us with the second special character of
preparation. Preparation in this
context means making
someone or something ready for something better. Within this period of lent, we
are to make ourselves ready to die with Christ that we may rise with him at
Easter. To do this, the gospel reading presents us with the three pillars of a
perfect Lenten observance: prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Jesus therefore
warns us never to practice them like the hypocrites always seeking for people’s
recognition. Rather, we should do them in secret so that our Father who sees in
secret will reward us.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, are you resolved to abandon your old and evil
way of life to embrace a new and holy way of life? Do you feel the need to
repent of your sins because of your nothingness before God? Who knows whether
this is the last opportunity you have to refrain from that sin that you are
addicted to before it destroys you? We cannot claim to be perfect, a sincere
introspection will always make us guilty of something we can repent of. Though
God is merciful, He is just and repays each man according to his deed but this
is one of such moments when God’s mercy triumphs over his justice. He is
waiting for the repentant sinner just like the father of the prodigal son not
to condemn him but to grant him pardon and acceptance (cf. Luke 15:11-32).
How are you preparing yourself for the Lenten observance? Only those who die
with Christ by suffering themselves within this period will rise with him into
a new life at Easter. Why not take up something to do. Have you seen those
around you who need help? They are the means of grace when you help them. Have
you been weak in your prayer life? This is the best time to take it up as a
challenge. Have you gotten yourself in so much inordinate love with something? This is the best time to fast or detach from it to get yourself in love with your
God. You can fast from food at least on Fridays and also, from those things
that give you pleasure especially sin. Deny yourself of something and offer it
up to God.
Do not be afraid as you plan to do these things. You can really do them because
the second reading has assured us that God has given us the grace to do this,
so do not neglect this grace. You can always sustain it in prayers. Therefore,
as the reading says, now is the favourable time and the day of salvation, with
this grace, work out your salvation in fear and trembling. God loves you.
ASH WEDNESADY AND LENTEN SEASON!!!
ReplyDeleteFrom the social to the spiritual we try to model and prepare for the Lenten Season. The Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday usher us into the beginning of Lent from Ash Wednesday. The reason for Mardi Gras in social realm brings to limelight in the yesteryears, the raucous and hedonistic events which entered into the Christian calendar as the “last hurrah” before the Lent which starts actually on Ash Wednesday. In this social gathering, there is carnival feast, from the Latin etymology the words carne & vale, this imply “Farewell to the flesh”. The name came from the tradition of slaughtering and feasting upon fattened calf on the last day of carnival. This day is also known as Shrove Tuesday which means “to shrive” or hear confession. This day is still known as Pancake Tuesday and Fetter Dienstag. All things being equal the custom of making pancakes comes from the need to use up fat, eggs and diary before the fasting and abstinence of Lent begins looking forward to the celebration of the Resurrection or Easter. Therefore, this helps us to meditate most profoundly what are involved in the Ash Wednesday and Lent as a Holy Season. Therefore in Ash Wednesday we see these:
A – AVOID all forms of sinful relationship with the world from this season and onwards.
S – SHOW your nothingness before God that He may bring a change in your life.
H – HOLINESS is the key word throughout the season of Lent.
W – WITHOUT God in your life, your entire personality is spiritually vacuum.
E – EVACUATE your sinful old nature before God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation as to profit from this Season worthily.
D – DRESS yourself with spiritual armour so that the devil in the desert will be overcome with prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
N – NEVER take the devil for granted for he is planning on strategy to pull you down, “stand up to him strong in faith” 1Pet.5:9.
E – EMBRACE yourself in the things that increases virtue each moment in life.
S – SALVATION is all we ought to look and work for.
D – DO everything possible to win heaven.
A – ACCEPT the corrections available to you as to change for better.
Y – YOU are needed in heaven, so “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”.
As we know, Lent reminds us of unforgettable spirit of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving which are inter-connected with “to judge oneself”, “to bend knee in prayer because of Divine”, “to show pity, mercy, compassion, charity”, righteousness, kindness and justice. These three principal elements Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving of Lent are rightly summarized in Matt 6:2-4=Almsgiving; 5-15=Prayer; 16-18=Fasting. By these we combat the devil in the desert of our lives. Therefore Lent reminds us about these:
L – LEAVE off every pleasure or vice that draws you back from not increasing in virtue. Phil2:7-8; Joel 2:13; Mk.1:15
E – EMPTY yourself in prayers that the Spirit of God may take control of your life in this Holy Season. Ezk 18:21-23;Gen 3:19.
N – NEVER take the devil for granted, say NO to his prices and favours for they are detrimental to spiritual and moral lives. 1Pet 5:8-11; Gal 5:16-26.
T – TEMPTAION or TRIAL makes us ready and conscious to overcome the devil with the sincere spirit of preparedness. Sir 2; Jas 1: 22; 2:12-13.