ASHES: Do you know what Ash Wednesday is?
I wonder what young children would think Ash Wednesday is? Perhaps they
would answer (a) Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 in South Australia and (b) Test
Cricket series between England and Australia or perhaps they would not be able
to answer at all.
The ashes are made from the blessed
palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. The ashes are
christened with Holy Water and are scented by exposure to incense. It is
not only the Church being 'green and environmentally friendly', but it links us
to our past Lenten Season and reminds us of the ongoing pilgrim journey of
repentance.
On Ash Wednesday, the priest or
extraordinary minsters of the Eucharist distribute the ashes on
our foreheads saying ' Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall
return' or Repent and believe the Good News'. At Baptism we are sealed on our
foreheads. The ashes sign of the cross connects us again to our Baptism, and
the words remind us to that we are a pilgrim people- our homeland is with God
in Heaven and that the Church provides us with the opportunity during Lenten
season to review our lives and turn again to God with prayer, fasting and alms
giving.
This simple ceremony to mark the
beginning of Lent occurs in every Catholic Church throughout the world
including St Peter's Basilica where the Pope both distributes and receives the
ashes. As we receive the ashes, we are unity with the whole Catholic Church
throughout the world. Everyone is following this same Lenten journey of
repentance 'from the greatest to the least' as scripture tells us.
SACKCLOTHS:
Sackcloth was originally a coarse
hessian style of cloth used to make sacks or a coarse cloth resembling sacking.
Sackcloth is mentioned in scripture at least 60 times in both Old and New
Testament It was a physical and visual reminder to all the
community of an interior disposition of of mourning.repentance and remorse.
A few Lents ago, I decided to buy my own 'sackcloth' -something simple to wear in Lent. The simple purple twinset purchased from an opportunity, shop which I wore mainly at home, was a physical reminder of my Lenten observances. I felt I was wearing my Lenten armoury to fight the temptation of the fridge and pantry, and wearing it was physical reminder of the Lenten season.
This Lenten season has been hot so my
simple twinset is inappropriate. However, going through the wardrobe, I found
another purple top, suitable for this hot Australian weather in Lent. It is now
become my summer sackcloth!!!
