By Dr. Jeanette Pinto –
After the high drama of celebration, merry making and feasting on Shrove Tuesday there’s a drastic drop in the mood of people with the announcement of the Lenten season starting with Ash Wednesday. It officially ends the season of Epiphany and the starting of Lent. The question is Why Ash Wednesday? Precisely, because it is a unique Christian holy day, of prayer, fasting and repentance. It is the beginning of Lent – a stark reminder of Death and the day is traditionally viewed as a day of repentance and mourning.
Many cultures and traditions in the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Greece observe the custom of sprinkling ashes as a sign of mourning. Prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament calls for repentance this way: “O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in ashes.”(Jer 6:26) Then we have Prophet Daniel who pleaded for God to rescue Israel, he wore sackcloth and ashes as a sign of Israel’s repentance: “I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.” (Dn 9:3)
In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent. It derives its name from the practice of placing ashes with the mark of the cross on the foreheads of adherents as a celebration and reminder of human mortality, and as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. As the priest marks the forehead, he says: “From dust thou art made and to dust thou shall return”. A second formula that is offered for the imposition of ashes is: “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel.” Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat, and repentance; a day of contemplating one’s transgressions and making self-sacrifices.
The Church bears a sombre appearance in wearing the Lenten veil or the purple cloth signifying and reminding us that it is a special time of 40 days reserved to mend our relationship with our Father. Why 40 days? The Presentation of Jesus in the temple happened 40 days after His birth, God purified the earth for 40 days and 40 nights with rain, Moses, Elijah and Jesus fasted for 40 days. Israel was in bondage for 40 years, the Lenten season is also for 40 days. The 40 day period represents Jesus Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness. There he fasted, and, Satan tempted him.
Despite references in scripture, the liturgy only appeared in the 8th century. At the beginning of the 11th century, Abbot Aelfric notes that it was customary for all the faithful to take part in a ceremony on the Wednesday before Lent that included the imposition of ashes. In 1091, Pope Urban II launched the custom as binding the whole Church, only later did this day come to be called Ash Wednesday. In the 12th century the rule was that the ashes were to be created by burning the blessed palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday.
Some folk take the Lenten season rather frivolously, by giving up chocolate or ice-cream or the regular pegs, some stop smoking or going to the movies. Some families change to a vegetarian diet for the 40 days, all this is good. However our penances should train and direct us to shun vice and sinful habits, become less self-centred, make sacrificial penance and to increase in virtue. The ashes traced on the forehead should remind us that Lent is a time of dying with Jesus Christ.
Ash Wednesday presently is observed by Catholics, Anglicans, many Lutherans and Methodists. Some Christians in the United States attend special Ash Wednesday church services. Priests place blessed ashes in the form of the cross on individuals’ foreheads to emphasise on mortality, repentance, change, and forgiveness; also a time of fasting, prayer and sacrifice. For many it is a wake-up call from a wayward life, and distancing from the presence of God in their lives.
Ash Wednesday is vital in light of the fact that it welcomes all Christians into the period of Lent, a period of moving nearer to God. Let’s tread these 40 days with trepidation, introspection, reflection, and find ways and means to come closer to Jesus. It’s a clarion call; return to the Lord with “fasting and weeping and mourning.” May the ash crosses that mark our foreheads be a reminder to all that we belong to Jesus. May our Lenten experience, worship, prayer and penitence throughout these 40 days of Lent refresh, renew and transform us to celebrate Christ’s resurrection at Easter.
Photo courtesy: Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Bengaluru
Dr Jeanette Pinto, an educator for the past 5 decades, headed the Department of History was Vice Principal of St. Xavier’s College Mumbai, and retired as Principal of Sophia College, Mumbai. She is a counsellor and conductor of Personal Enrichment Programmes for students and teachers.
Dr Pinto set up the Human Life Committee in the Archdiocese of Bombay. As a sex educator she has given talks on Human Sexuality in India and abroad. In 2014 she received the Rachana Outstanding Woman of the Year for her Pro-life work presented by the Diocese of Mangalore. She has attended many National and International Pro-life conferences and given talks at other fora on various women’s issues.
Dr Pinto is author of a couple of books, her most recent ones are titled: I’m Pro-Life Are you? & Sex Talk: Parent to Child. She has also written a number of articles on a variety of themes and subjects, which have been published in research journals, The Examiner and other Catholic publications.