What are your thoughts on this Ash Wednesday? Have you ever had an unusual experience while wearing your ashes? Do you, like me, feel bad when it's time to wash your face to go to bed? ;)
And could you please keep my husband in your prayers today? He has his interview this morning. Thank you!
Praying for your husband...& for you, too, as this must be an anxious time.
ReplyDeleteFor Eastern Catholics, the Lenten season began 2 days ago on Pure Monday (also called Clean Monday, referring to the leaving behind of sinful attitudes & non-fasting foods). We begin 2 days earlier so the Feast of the Annunciation & Lazarus Saturday (day before Palm Sunday) are not calculated into the Fast. The theme of Pure Monday is set by the OT reading appointed to be read at the 6th Hour on this day (Isaiah 1:1-20), which says in part: "Wash yourselves and ye shall be clean; put away the wicked ways from your souls before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well. Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, consider the fatherless, and plead for the widow. Come then, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; and though they be red like crimson, I will make them white as wool." In this way, we celebrate the fact that the springtime of the Fast has dawned, the flower of repentance has begun to open. We try to "breathe with both lungs, East & West" (as Bl. John Paul II called us all to do in his apostolic letter Orientale Lumen - Light of the East), so we also plan to receive ashes today at the local Roman Catholic parish. Wishing everyone a blessed & fruitful season of the Great Fast! It is interesting how receiving ashes has come to appeal to many non-Catholics...which seems like a good thing! It seems like a nice, quite way to evangelize.
That's beautiful Pilgrims; thanks for sharing.
DeleteThis is the first time in many years that I might not make it to Mass for Ash Wednesday. I missed the 9 am Mass because I was doing childcare for a mom's meeting at the preschool that my son used to attend (I do this once/month, and this month it just happened to fall on Ash Wednesday). There is a 7:00 Mass tonight, but either my husband or I will have to stay home with our son, as it is too late for him to be out on a school night. I feel pretty bad about missing Mass this morning. I hope I will still be able to get Lent off to a good start. (Praying for your husband. I hope the interview goes well!)
ReplyDeleteSorry about that, Claire. Perhaps if you light a candle before a Crucifix & prayerfully meditate on today's readings, it might help you feel like you are getting a good start on Lent:
Deletehttp://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030514.cfm
God bless!