Ash Wednesday, Lent - Origin, Dos and Don’ts
By: Judith Mutua
Posted on Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Today is like any other day for those who are deeply immersed in non-spiritual engagements like jobs and businesses. To staunch Roman Catholics, it is a special day and worthy of reverence. Today marks the beginning of Lent, a six-week (approx. 40 days) period running into Easter which begins with Ash Wednesday. This year’s Easter will be celebrated on the weekend of 11th April.
The festival starts with a special mass where believers get to have a cross drawn on their foreheads out of ashes from a palm tree. The period is characterized by fasting and prayer. According to the faith, the ashes symbolize dust from which God made mankind.
One thing not known by many is that it takes almost a whole year to prepare the ash as its prepared from the palm trees used in the preceding year’s Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday, another of Catholic Faith’s Festivals is celebration marking Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, as written in the Gospels.
Guidelines…
Wearing of the ash for the rest of the day after mass is not mandatory; it is however common place for faithful to keep the ashes on as a reminder until the evening. The sick both at home and at hospitals have the ashes delivered to them and marked from their beds.
The origin of the ash is linked to some Jewish customs related to repentance of sins. Nonetheless, the Bible does not explicitly reveal circumstances in which the Jews instituted the doctrine.
Lent…
During this period, there are several adjustments in the church and its believers. Derived from the word ‘Lengthen’, referring to its observance during spring when days begin to be longer, Lent has a number of practices associated with it; purple the theme colour, is meant to bring out the sombre mood to commemorate Christ’s suffering. The period also comes with dos and don’ts to be observed.
Dos: One is expected to fast and pray, emphasize on repentance and engage in charity to affirm one’s faith.
Don’ts: Avoid alcohol, smoking, or using any drug, eating meat, and one can voluntarily refrain from sexual intercourse.
Origin…
The practice of Lent observation dates back to years before Christianity was adopted in Rome, leading to the institution of Roman Catholic Church. The lent practice was built on general principles which have changed over time. For instance, a person was to have only one meal a day, something that is not religiously adhered to nowadays.
The changes are tied to the push to make celebrations comfortable and accommodating to believers from diverse cultures.
We wish our Catholic brothers and sisters strength to live out their journey of faith. May the Holy Spirit be by your side always.
