This past Wednesday, February 22, 2023 began the liturgical season of Lent. This season, following a season after Christmastide referred to as “ordinary time” will be a total of 46 days in length. However, this includes six Sundays that are not technically counted in the total – leaving us with a 40 day season of remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Sundays don’t count because they are always considered a day of celebration each week!
This liturgical season will culminate in a number of familiar events as we remember the last week of Jesus entering Jerusalem prior to his subsequent crucifixion and resurrection. We will remember Palm Sunday, Maunday Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and finally Easter on Sunday, April 9th.
Depending on your theological leanings, Lent will end on either Thursday, April 6th or on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. Since 1969, The Catholic community of faith ends the season of Lent on Maunday Thursday, sometimes referred to as Holy Thursday, the traditional day that the Upper Room events and final instructions of Jesus to His apostles took place, including the Last Supper. Other Christian denominations tend to follow the more traditional calendar and end Lent on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.
Easter itself will start the liturgical season of Eastertide, 50 days in length, which will end on Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the church according to the book of Acts. But in the meantime, this period of Lent is a time of reflection, remembrance, sacrifice and recognition of the poor. In fact, in its more traditional format, we are to be involved in prayer, fasting and almsgiving (giving to the poor).
This year, I am unusually drawn to the idea of prayer. Similarly, the idea of fasting is not so much about denial as about going above and beyond in sacrifice and reaching out to others. In fact, Pope Francis made it quite clear this year that sacrifice without benefit to others is, at best, of minimal value. And we are to remember the poor throughout the year but particularly during this 40 day period.
In another little known tradition during the season of Lent, many denominations will suspend the use of words such as “Allelulia”, “Hallelujah” or “Gloria.” This is done to reflect the solemnity of the time and to look forward to the singing of hymns on Easter Sunday.
Many denominations still also require the suspension of eating meat as a sacrificial element during the 40 days. This year, as I mentioned, Pope Francis challenged believers to think about compassion snd deeper acts of humility to further push believers to contemplate the sacrifice of Jesus. I believe that Lent is also a time to contemplate the sacrifice of God the Father who sent His only Begotten Son to atone for the sins of the world.
The start of the Lenten season occurs on Ash Wednesday, when the sign of the cross is made on the foreheads of believers – with the ashes of the palm branches that were used in last year’s Palm Sunday celebration – the time that Jesus made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The idea of the ashes symbolizes the fact that we are from dust and to dust we will return.
Tonight’s verse marks this biblical truth from Genesis 3:19. Moses, the author of this book, tells us God’s words in Genesis 3:19, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” My encouragement this evening is that we are in a season that requires us to contemplate the sacrifice of Jesus and draw ourselves closer to God. My prayer is that we will all pay closer attention to our time of reflection, fasting and service to the poor. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…