Tomorrow Begins The Season Of Lent

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday which in the Catholic Church is a day of fasting and abstinence that marks the beginning of Lent. Practicing Catholics will go to mass and receive a sign of the cross in ashes on their foreheads to remind them that they come from dust and to dust they will return. The ashes are from the burning of the palms from last year's Palm Sunday. Most often these days, the ashes are ordered from companies that supply liturgical items for Catholic churches. So they will come in little containers that help keep everything neat and easy to distribute.

Catholics are ususally easy to spot on Ash Wednesday and are used to people letting them know that they have "dirt" on their forehead. To Catholics this day marks the beginning of 40 days of prayer and preparation for Easter. Abstaining from meat on Fridays is only a portion of what we do to prepare. Many people sacrifice during Lent something important to them. Other people will try to do more for others. The whole point is to focus on prayer, repentance, and sacrifice and to go beyond what we would normally do to acknowledge Christ's sacrifice for us.

Normally during Lent there are extra daily masses. I like to make as many of the lunchtime masses as I can. But I also like the quiet morning masses. There is something comforting and peaceful about morning mass. It is a good way to start the day. It is too bad that I don't take advantage of it more often during the rest of the year.

So if you see any "dirty" foreheads tomorrow, be sure to wish them a meaningful Lent. And don't forget that Passover comes just before Easter this year. It is a day that should be meaningful to Christians and Jews alike. Shalom! Peace be with you!