What is Lent

The other day my colleague, (a former history teacher), said he didn't realize that Catholics still did the "ashes thing", he ask me what it really meant, and I really didn't have a good answer, so I went to studied it, and from research and my own up-bringing, this is what I surmise. The word Lent is an Old English word meaning, Spring. Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season with the blessing of the foreheads of Catholics from all over the world, the ashes are actually left over Palms from Palm Sunday the year before. They are burned into ashes and mixed with a bit of oil to make the ashes pasty so they'll stick. Ash Wednesday (not a Holy Day of obligation) is actually a nick name, the official name is the "Day Of Ashes", because on that day the foreheads of the faithful are marked with ashes in the sign of a cross. In biblical times, a mark on the forehead was a symbol of ownership, so by having our foreheads marked with the sign of the cross, we symbolize that we belong to Jesus Christ. Also, they are a biblical symbol of mourning and penance. In Bible times the custom was to fast, wear sackcloth, sit in dust and ashes, and put dust and ashes on one's head (cf. 1 Sam. 4:12; 2 Sam. 1:20, 13:19, 15:32). Ashes also symbolize death and so remind us of our mortality. When the priest uses his thumb to sign one of the faithful with the ashes and says, "Remember, man, that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return," he is echoing God's address to Adam (Gen. 3:19; cf. Job 34:15; Ps. 90:3, 104:29; Eccles. 3:20). This phrase also echoes the words at a Catholic burial, "Ashes to ashes; dust to dust," which is based on God's words to Adam in Genesis 3 and Abraham's confession, "I am nothing but dust and ashes" (Gen. 18:27). "The Day Of Ashes also marks the beginning of our celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the lynch pin of Christianity. In Lee Strobels book, "The Case For Christ" Lee puts forth the most intelligent argument I've ever heard. Lee points out the fact that in Jesus' time, women were not only viewed as dumb as rocks, but they were the most UN-trustworthy, they just were not to be believed at that time in history, so considering this when contemplating if they were faking the Resurrection, wouldn't the Apostles have tried to use someone else to discover the body missing, and the tomb empty? Someone more trusting than women, the least trust worthy people on the planet? For me it's not even a question, I can't ever remember a time in my life when it was, I view my faith as a gift, I have to, it just comes too easy to me. Growing up a Catholic I always heard, and maybe you've heard, that Lent begins 40 days before Good Friday and ends with the beginning of the celebration of the Lords Last Supper, on Holy Thursday at the beginning of the Mass, (sorry Ma). Holy Thursday is the day before Good Friday, the beginning of Jesus' Passion, and is the night that Jesus broke bread with his Disciples for the last time, thus Instituting the Holy Eucharist and celebrating the first Mass. Holy Thursday is also the night Jesus was arrested and brought before the Jewish High Priest, then ultimately to Pontious Pilate, where he was sentenced to death for Blasphemy. Jesus was crucified sometime on Friday morning, (Good Friday) and suffered for several hours before dying between noon and 3:00pm. He was buried and on the third day rose from the dead. Lent forces Catholics to focus on one thing, the last days of the worlds Savior. We contemplate the ultimate sacrifice Jesus Christ made for humanity, we contemplate the misery, suffering and the brutal punishment of God's only Son, and His glorious Resurrection. To pay homage, we emulate the suffering by fasting, we fast by eating no meat on Ash Wednesday, and all Fridays during the season. People over the age of 12 are also asked to sacrifice something else, or "give something up", something they truly love, many chocolate lovers (my Mom & Sister) give up chocolate, others give up drinking, smoking etc., all in an effort to sacrifice as did Christ. That's Lent to me and many other Catholics, I hope I was able to shed a bit of LIGHT, no pun intended......Y