ASH WEDNESDAY February 14, 2024 - LENT BEGINS

  An explanation of the history and significance of Lent to our spiritual lives.

Sorry Valentines Day... get to the back of the line.

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Ash Wednesday is upon us. This day is very important – or it should be. Why?
It is the clarion call to “Repent and believe the gospel” (Mk 1:15).

It marks the start of the 40 day Lenten period leading up to Easter, when Christians unite in their belief that Jesus Christ defeated death and was Resurrected in glory.
During this time, the faithful willingly submit to fasting and self-denial in imitation of Our Lord’s forty-day fast in the desert. It is in these dark and still nights, these desert-times of the soul, that the soul experiences its greatest growth.

There, in the inner arena, the soul battles the world - the concupiscence of mortal flesh, and the devil - just as Our Lord battled Satan's triple temptation in the desert. His battle was external, for Jesus could not sin; our battle is interior, but with a hope sustained by the knowledge of Christ’s Easter victory over sin and death.

The ashes on this day symbolize both death and repentance, and during Lent, Christians show repentance and mourning for their sins because they believe Christ died for them. Though the obligation of penance was originally only imposed on those who had committed public sins and crimes, by medieval times all the faithful voluntarily performed acts of penance to repair for their less-public, but no less damning, sins.

Why Ashes on Wednesday?
That's pretty somber stuff, aint it?
But I'm going to offer an additional note to this that you might not expect, one that injects a happy tone.
So stay with me, please.

Ashes are placed on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday in one of the oldest and most counter-cultural, anti-worldly acts of our faith.

We do it for two reasons:

1. As a personal act of penance and remembrance
2. As a willing and happy sign of our witness to others

The ashes themselves come from the burnt palm fronds used on The Passion Sunday celebration from the previous year.
That Sunday commemorates the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem as the triumphant Messiah of the Jews, and segues into Holy Week.
During Holy week, we remember that Jesus didn't end up an exalted ruler, but was betrayed and died at the hands of the Romans and Jewish Temple leaders.

As a quick reminder, Holy Week is, quite literally, the most sacred week in our entire liturgical year, and each day during the week has significance....

- Holy Monday,... we observe Jesus cursing the fig tree, the cleansing of the Temple, the authority of Jesus questioned by the chief priests and elders (Pharisees), and the anointing of Jesus at Bethany.

- Holy Tuesday,... we recall Christ's predictions of his own death, as described in John 12:20–36 and John 13:21–38

- Spy Wednesday,... the story of the spy, Judas, arranging his betrayal of Jesus with the chief Pharisee priests is remembered.

- Maundy Thursday,... (also known as Holy Thursday) commemorates the Last Supper, where Christ lays out the model for the Eucharist, aka Holy Communion.

- Good Friday,... commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus, His Passion, by the Romans, to appease the Phraisees, and his subsequent death on the Holy Cross.

- Black Saturday,... (Holy Saturday) the day between the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection, where Christ descends into hell to preach his salvation to the souls held captive there since the beginning of the world.

Therefore, we don't allow something as significant as these ashes to go to waste. We USE THEM to call us back to our last celebration of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. We remind ourselves on this first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, that we are beginning a new journey of renewal from death, to life.
In His betrayal and death – we gain joy and Salvation.

So, despite the seeming melancholy tone of this season, its important to acknowledge that this is also a joyful 40 days.
We will DO things: we make sacrifices, we will fast, we will do penance, yes.
But we recall that His victory is our renewal, our “spring” — which is the meaning of the Anglo-Saxon word, “lengten” or Lent.

But we do these things to bring ourselves low and to reform our desirous hearts, so that we will be impacted with the realization that God is so generous to us. I mean, He came in human form to DIE a suffering death, so that each us may be taught how to glorify God, first, and share in His eternal salvation of our soul.
WOW!

The Imposition of Ashes
When the ashes are placed on our foreheads, its called an "imposition." The minister says one of two formulas aloud as the ashes are daubed on, with the other being silent but understood

"Remember, man/woman, you are dust and to dust you will return...
Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel"

Sometimes both phrases are spoken.

The point here is to remind us who we are, and of the mission to which we are called. We recollect that we are mere, "creatures," and that our lives were given to us by God – they do not belong to us.
But, we are also in two minds, because we happily accept that this earthly home is NOT our lasting home. Rather. our true and lasting home is in eternal Heaven with God.

The term, "imposition of ashes" is chosen deliberately – they are IMPOSED to shake us out of the worldy influences that prevent us turning away from sin and glorifying God through Jesus Christ.
This is why it is a happy reminder, a time for us to be glad.
We are challenged, for sure....turning from sin in THIS world demands constant determination. But we have a reward for meeting that challenge that NOTHING on this earth can match.
This is why we also call it a joyful time!

An Outward Sign
Finally, we wear ashes on our foreheads as an outward sign of our faith to others. However, this is not done as a boastful sign, where we say, "Hey, everybody - look at me; see how holy I am?"

On the contrary, it is quite the opposite.
It is a visible sign to the world, where we say...

"I have been reminded from where I come, and to where I am going. I heard the call to turn away from my life of sin and worldliness, so as to give my life to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

And as a denizen of this world, which is too often caught up in the denial of these things – and especially death - someone might wonder and ask me, "Hey, what is that black smudge on your forehead?"
If so, then it has it has given me a chance to joyfully proclaim Gods mercy, and Christ's mission, to another person.

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In this penitential season we have the opportunity to make an annual spiritual, “tune-up”, a 40-day retreat with Our Lord.

We are also called to DO things that matter - to fast and abstain from pleasures, to do penance, and to perform acts of charity for others.

So lets ask ourselves...
Have we allowed worldly cares and the “daily drama” to obscure our call to holiness?
Have self-love and materialism eroded our ability - and willingness - to glorify the One God above all things?

Then let us renew our efforts, and through our Lenten observance, discipline the body and master it, as we “follow in the footsteps of the poor and crucified Christ”

- excerpted from Catholic Culture.org