So, How Was Your Ash Wednesday?

[Luigi]

This morning, my buddy said, "Happy Ash Wednesday, Luigi!" I told him I didn't think Ash Wednesday was supposed to be "happy." So he shot back with "Somber Ash Wednesday, Luigi." Which I thought was perfect! Next year, I will expect all the Catholic printing companies to have a full selection of cards that say Somber Ash Wednesday. 

I attended 11 a.m. Mass at a local parish while on break from work. Nothing at all fancy, but very reverent. 

[little2add]

BTW:

 the name “Ash Wednesday” was not given to the day until Pope Urban II in 1099, the day was known as the “Beginning of the Fast.”

Through the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, we can learn how Lent was practiced in his own time and attempt to willingly observe such practices in our own lives. The Lenten fast as mentioned by St. Thomas Aquinas constituted of the following:

• Monday through Saturday were days of fasting. The meal was taken at mid-day and a collation was allowed at night, except on days of the black fast
• All meat or animal products were prohibited throughout Lent.
• Abstinence from these foods remained even on Sundays of Lent, though fasting was not practiced on Sundays.[1]
• No food was to be eaten at all on either Ash Wednesday or Good Friday
• Holy Week was a more intense fast that consisted only of bread, salt, water, and herbs.

Fat Tuesday is known as Carnival, coming from the Latin words carne levare – literally the farewell to meat. 

[BarbTherese]

In my aged care home here, we have plenty of veges and fruit, not so much meat.  But I do like my meat, but thankfully I can cut it out through Lent and not affect a healthy diet (I eat fish daily, one egg daily at breakfast) - yet I will feel such a small sacrifice of meat as plenty penitential for the likes of me. ☺️  I have a very strong aversion, despising, to penitential practices.

Ash Wednesday crept up on me far too suddenly this year.  I was unaware until Wednesday some time.

Edited February 23, 2023 by BarbTherese

[BarbTherese]

I am lousy wit h penitential practices.  I do much prefer to accept whatever comes along as coming Lovingly from The Lord and embrace it as such.  When I remember, that is🙄......usually after a whole heap of growling and grumbling......but not always......

From St Therese of Lisieux and her writings and thoughts I have learnt that The Lord Loves and embraces us in our poverty, especially a poverty that does try to do better, accepting one's failures without devastation nor despair.

[Luigi]

"...usually after a whole heap of growling and grumbling.." Me, too. I'm not the Suffering Servant, I'm the Unwilling Servant. I relate to the parable of the father who told his older son, "I need you to work in the fields today," to which the son replied, "Why should I work in the fields? I'm not a hired hand!" Then the father told his younger son, "I need you to work in the fields today," to which the younger son replied, "Well, certainly! Happy to do it, too!" But the younger son didn't go to the fields and the older did. The moral of the story being, "Which one did the father's will?" ... I'm the older son - growls, grumbles, grimaces, grinds teeth, but eventually does whatever it is. I have not yet achieved St. Therese's equanimity...

[BarbTherese]

10 hours ago, Luigi said:

I have not yet achieved St. Therese's equanimity...

Neither have I, Luigi.  I can simply see it as a sound place to be gifted, if I do, if not - then so what is my concern?  I did like your comparison with one of the Parables of Jesus and as very apt.

[little2add]

This year, Lent began on February 22 and runs until April 6. 

The 40 days of Lent should be filled with reflection, service and prayer.

“Both the eastern and western churches observe Lent but they count the 40 days differently. The western church excludes Sundays.

Today, March 9th is the 14th day of Lent, in the West

Edited March 9, 2023 by little2add

[BarbTherese]

In this aged care home where I am now a resident, plenty of opportunity for reflection and prayer.  Service is proving to be, as an example, making sure a fellow resident has her wheeler handy after a meal and wanting to return to her room; alternatively, and generally speaking, being aware of my fellow residents at meals and elsewhere and their needs.; maintaining a cheerful disposition, including with staff, despite pain.  Very small opportunities to serve.

My budget is really stretched to breaking point now with the expenses of shifting - and so any alms giving will be very small indeed, if that.

Overall, thank goodness The Lord embraces the heart not the quantity or amounts.  St Albert wrote in his ancient rule for Carmel  that common sense is the guide of all the virtues.

............happy blessings this Lent all ................

[fides' Jack]

On 2/22/2023 at 7:22 PM, Luigi said:

This morning, my buddy said, "Happy Ash Wednesday, Luigi!" I told him I didn't think Ash Wednesday was supposed to be "happy." So he shot back with "Somber Ash Wednesday, Luigi." Which I thought was perfect! Next year, I will expect all the Catholic printing companies to have a full selection of cards that say Somber Ash Wednesday. 

I attended 11 a.m. Mass at a local parish while on break from work. Nothing at all fancy, but very reverent. 

I've been thinking about this, and I have come to disagree.  We should be joyful, even while performing penances.  Perhaps joy isn't the appropriate attitude during Holy Week liturgies, but then, somber and reverent would seem to be the correct attitude to portray during all liturgies throughout the year.

Happy Ash Wednesday is appropriate!

[BarbTherese]

Just another perspective:

I have much fondness for the image below.  It is above my computer, or will be once all my images from my unit are on the walls here.  Wont be much wall left to see either!!! The image reminds me about taking myself too seriously including during Lent - I can imagine Jesus laughing at me.  I mean, Jesus chooses 12 simple men from his environment to be his apostles.  I can imagine Jesus attempting to teach them (what were and are, in fact) deep theological truths and these simple men getting things all screwed up - and Jesus laughing at their screwed up attempts.  Jesus MUST have laughed!  If not, how could He be like us in all things.  How could He be human?

I have Good News to share, says me, and seem to share it at times with such a dark and dour expression and words.

"I am The Alpha and The Omegä".  And God is Love.  I do like to say "Our God is a God of Joy, of Love and of Laughter - and where there is Joy, Love and Laughter, God is present.  Should He perchance be absent, gently invite Him back into the situation".  Hard to be joyful and laughing in some situations, but Love can be present in empathy and compassion, understanding.

Off me pulpit 🚿

 

 

[fides' Jack]

That's a great scene in The Passion.

[BarbTherese]

2 hours ago, fides' Jack said:

That's a great scene in The Passion.

Thanks FJ.  I didn't see Mel Gibson's The Passion, but immediately identified with the scene when I came across it on the net.  I do like too, the Jesuit method of Gospel reflection or meditation and putting oneself into the scene, drawing out of that what one can/does.  I often use this method and find it fruitful. I guess my method would have to be based on the Ignatian method moreso than a word by word following of it.

https://catholicidentity.bne.catholic.edu.au/prayer/SitePages/Ignatian-meditation.aspx?csf=1&e=LRom3O

[BarbTherese]

3 minutes ago, BarbTherese said:

moreso than a word by word following of it

Read back my Post and had to laugh at the above comment.  Rules are never ever ends in themselves in this instance (impossible!), rather they are a guide to an ideal, which is the end purpose; hence, I am always prone to reflecting on the ideal indicated, reflecting on that ideal and finding my own way or rule as a guide to what it is leading towards. In my own Rule of Life, 'rules' are only means, not ends, and means are flexible or variables, not fixed.  Ends are fixed.  That leaves room for the individual, not a mould for all individuals.

I read a book about nuns who stay.  It was written by a female investigative journalist, who interviewed contemplative nuns who stayed in their Order post V2.  She stated that nuns who stay tend to find their way around the rule.  I reflected on those comments and decided that rules were generally speaking variables and therefore flexible, while the end purpose is fixed, or "Thy Will be done".

 My Rule 8 drew laughter from a contemplative prioress pal of mine: "All rules in these constitutions are transcended by this one Rule 8: Use your common sense, willya!" St Albert (who wrote in the Ancient Rule of Carmel and the shortest Rule of them all) that common sense is the guide of all the virtues.  That constitution of mine came under "On earth, as it is in Heaven".

Trust some sense can be made of the above!  Don't take the cartoon below literally, it is a general comment only on what I have written.

 

                                             

 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch ........................................