Chitika

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Ash Wednesday: "Remember, Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return."


"Remember, Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return."

1st Reading: Jl 2:12-18


“But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your alms-giving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. ...But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”


Ash Wednesday, in the Western Christian calendar, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days (40 days not counting Sundays) before Easter. It is amoveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as February 4 (February 5 on leap years) or as late as March 10." [1]This year, this day falls on March 9, 2011. " [It] marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption."[2]  "Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice."[3]

On this day, we are being reminded of the humility of our existence. We are only like a dust, and unto dust we shall return. We are weak yet we are blessed because on that weakness, we come to realize that what we absolutely need is the supreme goodness of God.

On this day also, we are being asked of a little sacrifice that we could offer not really for Him but for the benefit of us. We are asked to fast and abstain from worldly things not really to make us isolated from it but to make us strong in terms of our spirituality that we may realize that what more important is God’s grace than any material possesion. This will aid us also for us to be strong in occasion of sin.

This beginning of Lenten season, we may reflected upon the importance of God’s Love and mercy despite of our wickedness and sinfulness. God give us so much value in creation. Having started from the dust, God has clothed us with splendour. He wraps us with His love. Thus, lenten season, as the gospel has said, is not about wearing gloomy gaces like the hypocrites do. It is our way as silent manifestation of our love to Him with so much joy in our hearts. In that way “your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you”.

I pray that this Lenten season may be filled with deepest and meaningful prayers, sacrifice, penance, reflection, fasting and joy which will prepare us for Christ's Resurrection.

Holy Reminder: Fasting and Abstinence
Catholics who are over the age of 18 and under 60 are required to fast, which means that they can eat only one complete meal and two smaller ones during the day. Catholics who are over the age of 14 are required to refrain from eating any meat on Ash Wednesday.[4]

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

hmmm... parang copy & paste, hehehe need to write your own reflection about ash wednesday, though it's informative and good it would be better if you would make something new from your sources.

Arjanmar Rebeta said...

Ganun? hehe.
Thanks for the comments.
Every articles begin with the general notion. Thus yung first part is came from the valid source. Yung second part is my personal reflection. If that seems to be unoriginal, well, many things today have similarity in thinking and experience.

Arjanmar Rebeta said...

True enough, one purpose of that is informational especially today that some catholics neglects some important details in our faith.

Anonymous said...

It is good for us to be reminded of this day that "unto dust we shall return" and that the mark of this reminder is inscribed in the forehead. It just saddened me that some of those who were reminded and receive the "mark of the dust" and noting that the mark is still in the forehead are there enjoying the sumptuous meal served in some fastfood chains and restaurants. The problem with us Catholics now is that we are mere ritual centered and neglecting the essence of what we are doing. I think it is very timely to ask the question "are we following this ritual because of fear?"

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