Ash Wednesday
Valentine’s Day/world marriage day
Isaiah,
Chapter 33, verse 6
That
which makes her seasons certain, her wealth, salvation, wisdom, and knowledge,
is the fear of the LORD, her treasure.
Wherever
your treasure is that is where your heart is and our hearts are made for the
Lord. Fear of the Lord means that we
have a father/son relationship of care, respect and love. Our God does not want
to be objectified as some obtainable good. Nor does our God want to be appeased
with our prayers and obedience. God is not an insurance agent that guarantees
us against losses if we pay our premiums in prayers. If God is our treasure, he
is our star, our life, our everything.
In
the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium of the Holy Father Francis, he
states:
We
have a treasure of life and love which cannot deceive, and a message which
cannot mislead or disappoint. It penetrates to the depths of our hearts,
sustaining and ennobling us. It is a truth which is never out of date because
it reaches that part of us which nothing else can reach. Our infinite sadness
can only be cured by an infinite love.
I
am reminded of the love of Don Quixote in the play “Man from La Mancha”. If God
is our treasure he should be our Impossible Dream because we are His.
The
solemn season begins with a reminder of our mortality and our profound need for
repentance and conversion.[2]
Why
is this day so called? Because on this day the Catholic Church blesses
ashes and puts them on the foreheads of the faithful, saying, “Remember, man,
that thou art dust, and unto dust shalt thou shall return” (Gen. iii. 19).
Why
are the ashes blessed? 1. That all who
receive them with a contrite heart may be preserved in soul and body. 2. That
God may give them contrition, and pardon their sins. 3. That He may grant them
all they humbly ask for, particularly the grace to do penance, and the reward
promised to the truly penitent.
Why
are the faithful sprinkled with ashes? The sprinkling with ashes was always a
public sign of penance; as such God enjoined it upon the Israelites (Jer. xxv. 34).
David sprinkled ashes on his beard (Ps. ci. 10). The Ninivites (Jonas iii. 6),
Judith (Jud. ix. 1), Mardochai (Esther iv. 1), Job (xlii. 6), and others, did
penance in sack-cloth and ashes. To show the spirit of penance and to move God
to mercy, the Church, at the Introit of the Mass, uses the following words: “Thou
hast mercy upon all, O Lord, and hatest none of the things which Thou hast
made, and winkest at the sins of men for the sake of repentance, and sparing
them, for Thou art the Lord our God” (Wis. xi. 24, 25).
Instruction
on Lent
What
is the origin of fasting? Under the Old Law the Jews fasted by the command of
God; thus Moses fasted forty days and forty nights, on Mount Sinai, when God
gave him the Ten Commandments; Elias, in like manner, fasted in the desert.
Jesus also fasted, and commanded His apostles to fast also. The Catholic
Church, says St. Leo, from the time of the apostles, has enjoined fasting upon
all the faithful.
Why
has the Church instituted the fast before Easter? 1.
To imitate Jesus Christ, Who fasted forty days. 2. To participate in His merits
and passion; for as Christ could only be glorified through His sufferings, so
in order to belong to Him we must follow Him by a life answering to His. 3. To
subject the flesh to the spirit, and thus, 4, prepare ourselves for Easter and the
worthy reception of the divine Lamb. 5. Finally, to offer to God some
satisfaction for our sins, and, as St. Leo says, to atone for the sins of a
whole year by a short fast of the tenth part of a year.
Was
the fast of Lent kept in early times as it is now? Yes, only more
rigorously; for: 1. The Christians of the early ages abstained not only from
flesh-meat, but from those things which are produced from flesh, such as
butter, eggs, cheese, and also from wine and fish. 2. They fasted during the whole
day, and ate only after vespers, that is, at night.
How
shall we keep the holy season of Lent with advantage? We should
endeavor not only to deny ourselves food and drink, but, still more, all sinful
gratifications. And as the body is weakened by fasting, the soul, on the other
hand, should be strengthened by repeated prayers, by frequent reception of the holy
sacraments, attending Mass, spiritual reading, and good works, particularly those
of charity. In such manner we shall be able, according to the intention of the
Church, to supply by our fasting what we have omitted during the year,
especially if we fast willingly, and with a good intention.
Ash
Wednesday Top Events and Things to Do[3]
·
Fast
during Ash Wednesday to commemorate Jesus fasting for forty days in the desert.
Catholics are specifically instructed to not eat meat and are only
permitted to eat one full meal. However they may have 2 snacks in the
form of some food in the morning and evening.
·
Make
fiber-rich vegetarian versions of popular dishes. Some good ideas are
Veggie Burgers, Vegetarian Chili and salads with Tempeh. The fiber will
help keep you feeling full - useful if you fast for the rest of the day!
·
Rent
a movie that reflects on Mortality or Repentance. Some suggestions age: Les Miserables (2012), Dorian Gray (2009), What
Dreams May Come
(1998), Flatliners (1990) and The Seventh Seal (1957).
·
Discuss
mortality, repentance and the meaning of life with your friends or with a
church group.
Lent
Calendar[4]
Read:
Take
inspiration for your Lenten journey from prayer and the
reading of Scripture, from fasting and from giving
alms. The fasting that we all do together on Fridays is but a sign of the
daily Lenten discipline of individuals and households: fasting for certain periods
of time, fasting from certain foods, but also fasting from other things and
activities. Likewise, the giving of alms is an effort to share this world
equally—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of
our time and talents. The key to fruitful observance of these practices is to
recognize their link to baptismal renewal. We are called not just to abstain
from sin during Lent, but to true conversion of our hearts and minds as
followers of Christ. We recall those waters in which we were baptized into
Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ. Start Lent
off by watching this video, and get into the penitential spirit of the Lenten
season.
Reflect:
"By
the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground,
from which you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall
return." (Gn 3:19)
Pray: "Grant, O
Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service,
so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with
weapons of self-restraint. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives
and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and
ever." (Collect for Ash Wednesday)
Act:
Have
you picked up your Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl for Lent this year? Make
a commitment to dropping in spare change every day. Another way to give
alms today is by giving to the National Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe.
Today is Valentine’s Day by his love you can see
we truly are His Valentine. The idea of Valentine's Day seems to have
originated during the Middle Ages, somewhere around the 14th or 15th century.
The holiday is named after a Saint Valentine who was martyred.
Chaucer, a famous poet, wrote about "Seynt Valentyne's day" in
his famous Parliament of Foules. Other historians attribute the holiday
as a celebration of the life of Saint Valentine who lived in Constantinople 150
years after Constantine turned the city into a Christian one. There was a
pagan celebration on February 15th where lots of unmarried men chose a bride
and were married on this day. Married men didn't want to go to war, so
Roman Emperor Claudius II forbade young men to marry. Valentine ignored
the decree and was executed on February 14, in the year A.D. 270.
Things to Do[5]
·
Read
the Golden Legend account of St. Valentine's life.
·
Pray
to St. Valentine for an increase of true, sacrificial love within marriages.
·
Make
Valentines for those closest to you — your family and friends. If you have
children, teach them to make valentines from red construction paper and
doilies.
·
Begin
to read and discuss some of St. John Paul II's works on marriage; for example, Love and Responsibility or his The Theology of the Body Human Love in the Divine Plan (Parish
Resources).
N
Today is also International Condom Day in which our secular brothers and sisters
seek to promote the use of condoms as a means of preventing unwanted
pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STI's) rather than the
moderation of the passions. It is an informal observance celebrated in
conjunction with Valentine's Day. The holiday is also promoted by the AHF
(AIDS Healthcare Foundation) in an effort to reduce the spread of HIV thru safe
sex practices.[6]
This
prayer is designed to be said within the family before a Crucifix from Ash
Wednesday to Saturday at the beginning of Lent.
Prayer
Mother
or a child: From the words of St. John the Evangelist
(14:1-6).
Let not your hearts be troubled. You
believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many
mansions. Were it not so, I would have told you, because I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again, and
I will take you to myself, that where I am, there you also may be. And where I
go, you know, and the way you know.
Father: We ought to glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ
Family: in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection.
Father: Let us pray. Grant to your faithful, Lord, a spirit
generous enough to begin these solemn fasts with proper fervor and to pursue
them with steadfast devotion. This we ask of you through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son.
Family: Amen. Favor this dwelling, Lord, with your presence. Far
from it repulse all the wiles of Satan. Your holy angels—let them live here, to
keep us in peace. And may your blessing remain always upon us. This we ask of
you through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son.
Father: Let us bless the Lord.
Family: Thanks be to God.
Father: May the almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, bless and keep us.
Family: Amen.
Prayer Source: Holy Lent by Eileen O'Callaghan, The Liturgical
Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1975
The Two Ends or Purposes of Marriage[8]
Marriage has two
fundamental ends or purposes towards which it is oriented, namely, the good of
the spouses as well as the procreation of children. Thus, the Church teaches
that marriage is both unitive and procreative, and that it is inseparably both.
Unitive
Pope John Paul II‘s
theology of the body speaks of the human body as having a spousal significance.
This means that the human body by its very nature signifies that we humans are
directed to relationship—that we are to seek union with others. For it is only
in relationship that we achieve a true wholeness as a communion of persons. Before
Eve was created, Adam was alone. His joy upon perceiving Eve indicated that
with Eve he achieved the―original unity that human nature seeks. God clearly
made human beings to love and to be loved, to be in relationships wherein the
act of giving oneself and receiving the other becomes complete. In this
context, the word ―original means not only that these experiences go back to
the dawn of human history but, more importantly,
that they are key to understanding our most basic human experiences. The
experience of Adam and Eve speaks powerfully to our search not only to
understand ourselves but also to love and be loved, to be in a relationship of
love with a person of the opposite sex. God established marriage so that man
and woman could participate in his love and thus selflessly give themselves to
each other in love. A man and a woman who by their act of consent are no longer
two but one flesh (see Mt 19:6ff.) render mutual help and service to each other
through an intimate union of their persons and of their actions.―My lover
belongs to me and I to him (Song 2:16; see Song6:3).With all the dignity and
simplicity of poetry, the Bride in the Song of Songs sings of the unitive
meaning of married love.―You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride. . . .
How beautiful is your love! (Song 4:9-10). So responds the Bridegroom of the
Song, overcome with the wonder of conjugal love that is extended to him by the
Bride. This is the love that is strong as death (see Song 8:6b). Just as
beautifully, Tobiah prays with his wife, Sarah, on their wedding night,
awestruck at the mercy of the God of their fathers, that is, the God of the
covenant, in bringing them together in a union of true conjugal love: Blessed
are you, O God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the
heavens and all your creation praise you forever. You made Adam and you gave
him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race
descended. You said, ―It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a
partner like himself. Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not
because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on
her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age. (Tb 8:5-7) The love that
is as strong as death is the love that prays and praises, caught up into divine
love.
Procreative
It is the nature of love
to overflow, to be life-giving. Thus, it is no surprise that marriage is
ordained not only to growing in love but to transmitting life: ―by its very
nature the institution of marriage and married love [is]ordered to the
procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its
crowning glory. Married love itself is ordered to the procreation of children, for,
after all, the first command given to Adam and Eve is―be fertile and multiply (Gn
1:28). Tobiah‘s prayer, even as it asks for a happy and lifelong union,
remembers that the human race descended from Adam and Eve. His prayer for happiness
certainly includes, even if implicitly, a prayer for offspring. God indeed
sends the couple seven sons (Tb 14:3) and long life (Tb 14:14). Again, in the
words of the Second Vatican Council: Children are the supreme gift of marriage.
. . . Without intending to underestimate the other ends of marriage, it must be
said that true married love and the family life which flows from it have this
end in view: that the spouses would cooperate generously with the love of the
Creator and Savior, who through them will in due time increase and enrich his
family. Children are a gift in a myriad of ways. They bring joy even in the
midst of heartaches; they give added direction to the lives of their parents.
Children, who are the fruit of love and meaningful commitment, are a cause of
love and meaning. It is true that some marriages will not result in procreation
due to infertility, even though the couple is capable of the natural act by
which procreation takes place. Indeed, this situation often comes as a surprise
and can be a source of deep disappointment, anxiety, and even great suffering
for a husband and wife. When such tragedy affects a marriage, a couple may be
tempted to think that their union is not complete or truly blessed. This is not
true. The marital union of a man and a woman is a distinctive communion of
persons. An infertile couple continues to manifest this attribute. Even when
their child-bearing years have passed, a couple should continue to be
life-affirming. They can do this by staying involved in the lives of young
people, and especially their grandchildren, as spiritual mentors, teachers, and
wisdom figures. They can also continue to be nurturing through the exercise of
care for those who are needy, disabled, or pushed to the margins of society, and
by their support for or participation in works of charity and justice.
Daily
Devotions
·
Please pray for me and this ministry
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