ASH WEDNESDAY AND LENT SEASON

ASH WEDNESADY AND LENTEN SEASON!!!

From 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.