Shrove Tuesday
MARDI GRAS
Exodus,
Chapter 20, Verse 18-20
Now as all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning,
the blast of the shofar and the mountain smoking, they became AFRAID and trembled. So, they took up a position farther
away and said to Moses, “You speak to
us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we shall die.” Moses answered the people, “Do not be AFRAID, for God has come only to test you and put the FEAR of him upon you so you do not sin.”
The Israelite’s were afraid and
preferred to have Moses mediate for them with God rather than having a real
relationship with God.
What is love? In his text On Loving God, St.
Bernard surveys the four types of love that Christians experience as they grow
in their relationship with God: loving one's self, selfish love, loving God as
God, and loving one's self in God. St. Bernard reminds us that not only did God
give us life, but He gave us Himself. For indeed, "God deserves to be
loved very much, yea, boundlessly, because He loved us first, He infinite and
we nothing, loved us, miserable sinners, with a love so great and so free."
St. Bernard reminds us that we are indebted to God for his love and His
sacrifice. Not only should we love God because it is what He deserves, but also
because loving God does not go without reward. Loving God is to our advantage.
The Lord rewards those who love Him with the blessed state of the heavenly
Fatherland, where sorrow and sadness cannot enter. St. Bernard's medieval prose
is poetic and full of clever imagery. His work is as beautiful as it is
knowledgeable.
Emmalon Davis, CCEL Staff Writer
Shrove Tuesday[1]
Shrove
Tuesday occurs the first Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It officially ends the season
of Epiphany and is the vigil for the starting of Lent. Traditionally viewed as
a day of repentance, Shrove Tuesday has become the last day for celebration and
feasting before the period of fasting required during the Lenten season. The
name "Shrove Tuesday" is derived from the word "shrive",
which means to confess and receive absolution. The name denotes a period of
cleansing, wherein a person brings their lusts and appetites under subjection
through abstention and self-sacrifice.
The
concept behind this practice is found in 1 Corinthians 9:27, where the Apostle
Paul states: "I buffet my body and make it my slave..." Ironically,
Shrove Tuesday has evolved into a day of frivolity and indulgence, during which
people participate in as much pleasure and self-gratification as they can
before Lent begins. Shrove Tuesday originated during the Middle Ages. As in
contemporary times, food items like meats, fats, eggs, milk, and fish were
regarded as restricted during Lent. To keep such food from being wasted, many
families would have big feasts on Shrove Tuesday in order to consume those
items that would inevitably become spoiled during the next forty days.
The
English tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday came about as a way to
use as much milk, fats, and eggs as possible before Ash Wednesday began. In
France, the consumption of all fats and fatty foods on this day coined the name
"Fat Tuesday" or Mardi Gras. Originally beginning on Sunday,
Shrove Tuesday was a three-day celebration that culminated in large feasts on
Tuesday night. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, the event was
restricted to the Tuesday observance. Carnival became associated with
Shrove Tuesday, in part from the Spring Equinox celebrations that were
practiced by the Romans and the ancient tribes of Europe. The word
"carnival" comes from the Latin carnem levare, meaning
"to take away the flesh".
However,
in the New Orleans and Rio de Janiero celebrations, public revelry and
carousing have become the tradition for Carnival around the world. It was
mostly as a result of the Carnival celebrations that the Church restricted the
observance to a single day. Shrove Tuesday has a variety of customs that have
derived from different regions around Europe and the Americas. As previously mentioned,
England began the tradition of serving pancakes, and for this reason the day is
known as "Pancake Day". In addition, there are the annual Pancake Day
Races, where contestants dress in aprons and scarves and race down a course
flipping a pancake in a frying pan or skillet. In Eastern Europe, the Carnival
celebrations include boisterous processions where people in large masks parade
around and play jokes on bystanders. The masks are often caricatures of
individuals from traditional folklore. Men and women will dress as one another
and engage in gendered mimicry. The day is filled with eating, drinking,
fortune telling, and practical jokes.
Perhaps
the most prominent customs are the balls and pageants in New Orleans and Rio de
Janiero. Like Eastern European celebrations, participants wear masks and
costumes, many of which are quite flamboyant and elaborate. Rio has a parade of
multi-colored feathers, which include hundreds of dancers dressed in costumes
decked with feathers, all dancing the samba. In New Orleans, Mardi Gras
includes a variety of parades featuring grand floats and giant effigies of
eccentric characters. There is much eating, drinking, and dancing, as well as
practical jokes and humorous street plays. For many Protestant believers,
Shrove Tuesday holds no particular significance. For Catholics and Anglicans,
however, the day is still observed with confession and absolution, in addition
to modest feasting and rejoicing.
Shrove Tuesday[2]
Here are a few suggestions to help
you celebrate the final day before Lent.
·
Today
is Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras! Try some of the traditional recipes linked here.
When eggs were among the foods that were forbidden by the Church during Lent,
people would use them up on Fat Tuesday by mixing up large quantities of
pancakes or doughnuts (also known as fastnachts).
·
Read
Maria von Trapp's explanation of the traditions associated with Carnival, or
Fat Tuesday here.
·
Sing
this American favorite, Turkey
in the Straw, with your children as part of
your Mardi Gras celebrations.
·
Discuss
Jesus' Gospel teaching for today, He who would be first must be last,
with your children and ask them how they can put others in the family before
themselves. Keep it simple and practical — setting the table, washing the
dishes, folding laundry, watching the littler ones, doing homework right away.
·
What
does it mean to become a child spiritually, that we may enter Heaven and be
received by Christ Himself? We can learn much from St. Therese of the Child
Jesus about spiritual childhood. Begin reading her Story of a Soul.
·
Read
Fr. William Saunder's article, Shrove
Tuesday and Shrovetide, from the Catholic Culture
Library.
Shrove Tuesday
(Pancake Day) Top Events and Things to Do[3]
·
Eat
pancakes! Catholics and other Christians use Shrove Tuesday to get rid of all
sugar, fats and eggs in the house by making pancakes, which not only reduces
waste but also temptation.
·
Decide
what you will sacrifice for Lent. If you are not Christian or don’t observe
Lent, then consider refraining from a habit such as smoking, eating junk food
or buying fast food.
·
Participate
in a Pancake Competition. Every year since 1950, women from the county of
Liberal, Kansas compete against women from Olney, Buckinghamshire, England.
Dressed in aprons and holding pancakes in frying pans, women compete against one
another in this great trans-Atlantic Pancake Race.
·
Attend
a Mardi Gras festival and parade. Here are some recommendations:
1) Mardi Gras, New Orleans
2) St. Louis Mardi Gras, St. Louis, Missouri
3) Pensacola Mardi Gras, Pensacola, Florida
4) Galveston Mardi Gras, Houston, Texas
5) Mobile Mardi Gras, Mobile, Alabama
·
Try
a twist on traditional maple syrup pancakes. Here are some suggestions:
1) Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes made with mint extract and chocolate chips. Add
a few drops of green color for a burst of color.
2) Red velvet pancakes with cream cheese frosting. Add cocoa powder and red
food coloring to the pancake batter.
3) Caramel banana pancakes made by layering pancakes with caramel and topping
with sliced bananas
4) Blueberry peach cobbler pancakes made by layering pancakes with peach jam
and topping with fresh blueberries.
Forty
Hours' Devotion[4]
Since
the Shrovetide celebrations became prone to excess and scandal, Pope Benedict
XIV instituted in 1748 the Forty Hours
of Carnival, especially in those areas prone to such reveling. During
this devotion the Blessed Sacrament is exposed during the day and Benediction
held in the evening.
Mardi
Gras[5]
Mardi
Gras marks the end of the Carnival season, a period observed by many Roman
Catholics that starts at Epiphany on January 6 and ends on the Tuesday before
Ash Wednesday (Mardi Gras). Since Mardi Gras is the last day before lent (a
solemn period observed by prayer, repentance, fasting, and moderation), it is
often associated with lavish Carnival-like celebrations.
Mardi
Gras Facts
·
Some
families eat a festive King Cake on Mardi Gras. Although it is traditionally
served on Epiphany, many cultures, especially the people of Louisiana, savor
the sweet cake the night before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras cakes are often
decorated with a toy baby to represent the baby Jesus.
·
Although
the holiday is rooted in the Christian calendar, not many churches observe it
with a worship service. Most observances include festive parties, balls, and
parades.
·
Green,
gold, and purple are the official colors of Mardi Gras, and they all have roots
in Christianity. Green represents faith, while purple symbolizes justice. Gold
stands for power.
·
Mardi
Gras is not celebrated as an official church holiday, but is celebrated because
the following day starts Lent, a 40-day period of preparation and penitence
before Easter. Ash Wednesday
marks the beginning of Lent, so Mardi Gras, French for "Fat Tuesday",
is often the last day that people may indulge before beginning dietary
restrictions. In Roman Catholic tradition, the faithful refrain from eating
meat during Lent except on Sundays. Fish is acceptable in some Latin American
countries.
Mardi
Gras Top Events and Things to Do
·
Attend
the largest Mardi Gras celebration, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
·
Make
your own King cake and serve it to your family and friends.
·
Wear
purple, green, and gold beads to celebrate the day.
·
Attend
a local Mardi Gras event. Many local communities organize street fairs and
celebrations for this day.
Feast of the Holy Face[6]
Jesus Wants His Holy Face to be More Honored
Why
do you think Jesus miraculously printed His Body on the holy shroud on Easter
Morning? Jesus Himself gave the answer to Sister Pierina on the First Friday of
Lent in 1936:
"I firmly wish that My Face reflecting the intimate
pains of My Soul, the suffering and love of My Heart, be more honored! Whoever
gazes upon Me, already consoles Me"...
Principal reasons why we must honor the Holy Face of
Jesus
Jesus asked
it of Sister Pierina on the First Friday of Lent, as we read above. This reason
should be enough but for those Thomases who still doubt, there are more. Thirty-Three Popes have
spoken in favor of The Holy Shroud. Here are the statements of a few of them: Leo XIII declared
enthusiastically that this photograph of The Holy Shroud with its undeniable
revelation of the true likeness of Christ was a providential event and "a
means well-adapted in our time to stimulate everywhere a revival of the religious
spirit." St. Pius X referred
to the photograph as the "true image of The Holy Shroud" and declared
it can be a very effective aid in meditating on the Passion and Death of our
Divine Savior.
St.
Pius X expressed the desire that this image be published and seen around the
world and venerated in every Christian family. He recommended it to all bishops
and priests and gave a special blessing to
all who propagate the image and devotion to Jesus
Christ pictured on the Holy Shroud.
Why
do we so rarely see the picture of The Holy Face of Jesus in Catholic churches,
religious orders and Catholic homes? Why are so many Catholics not more devoted
to The Holy Face of Jesus? Why?
Because
there is a plot of silence! Demons do not like The Holy Face of Jesus and are
doing everything to stop the devotion to The Holy Face of Jesus.
How
can we not fall in love with Jesus seeing His Holy Face?
Catholic
churches, religious families, Catholic families have nice human pictures of
Jesus. Why not have the miraculous Holy Face of Jesus given to us on Easter
Morning by the risen Jesus, just as St. Pius X recommended?
When
I have to choose between a picture made by a man or by Jesus, the choice is
easy for me. I have The Holy Face of Jesus in my office, in my living room, in
my room, in my Bible, in my Breviary, in my many books. The result: I am always
walking in the presence of Jesus, thinking, loving, adoring and speaking of
Jesus. Then it is also impossible not to live in the presence of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, Jesus' Mother and ours.
·
St. Pius X
expressed the desire that the image of The Holy Shroud of Jesus be seen around
the world and venerated in every Christian family. When
Catholics will see The Holy Face of Jesus in their churches and hear their
priests preaching St. Pius X's call to devotion to The Holy Face of Jesus, then
the devotion to The Holy Face will be spread all over the world like the
devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If you want to please a father, speak
nicely of his son and publish his picture everywhere. If you want to please God the Father, speak nicely
of Jesus, and publish and show The Holy Face of Jesus
everywhere. Believe me, doing so is a special way to
have the Heavenly Father shower on you and your family graces and blessings so
abundantly that you will be obliged to say: Heavenly Father, please stop,
because my heart will burst with joy and happiness.
·
Pius XII asked
the faithful to spread knowledge and veneration of so great and sacred a relic.
On the occasion of the golden jubilee of Sister Celine Martin, sister of Saint
Theresa of the Child Jesus of The Holy Face (her full religious name!), he sent
her his photograph and the one of The Holy Face of Jesus! He was truly a pope
with faith and without fear of the truth.
·
John
XXIII, on
seeing the relic, said, "This can only be the Lord's doing... There we
see the finger of God."
·
Paul VI added
these words: "The Holy Face of Jesus printed on The Holy Shroud of Turin
appeared to us so true, so profound, so human and divine, that we admired and loved
it like no other image..."
·
John Paul I has
been named "The Pope of The Holy Shroud."
·
John Paul II said
"The Holy Shroud is the most splendid relic of the Passion and
Resurrection [of Our Lord Jesus Christ]. People say: `Who will make us see
happiness? Raise the light of Thy Face over us!' We become what we
contemplate... Why don't we contemplate the Icon of Icons: The Holy Face of
Jesus!" Instead of icons made by man, let us venerate the greatest icon of
all: The Holy Face of Jesus!
·
Saint Peter
Chrysologus, Father of the Church, tells us: "A
love that desires to see God may not have reasonableness on its side, but it is
the evidence of filial love. It gave Moses the temerity to say: 'If I have
found favor in Thine eyes, show me Thy face'. It
inspired the psalmist to make the same prayer: 'Show me
Thy Face'. Even
the pagans made their images for this purpose; they wanted to see what
they mistakenly revered."
Mass of the Holy Face
The
feast of The Holy Face is always
on Shrove Tuesday, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Pius XII confirmed that feast on April 17, 1958 and gave the Mass of The
Holy Face of Jesus for all dioceses and religious orders
who ask for the Indult from Rome in order to celebrate it. Papal documents like
this can be forgotten unless priests preach on them often. I hope the devotion
and Mass to the Holy Face will become as popular as the feast of the Most
Sacred Heart of Jesus. Priests who go to the Basilica of St. John, in Turin, Italy, can celebrate the Mass of The Holy Face on the very altar above which is
a silver box that contains The Holy Shroud on which is imprinted the Holy
Face of Jesus. There they can incense the Holy Shroud
itself. I myself celebrated the Mass of The Holy Face and incensed The Holy
Shroud three times, in three separate visits with my pilgrims. Great Saint
Theresa of the Child Jesus and of The Holy Face, one
of the greatest saints of our modern time, Patroness of Missions with St.
Francis Xavier, was also one of the greatest apostles of the Holy Face. Let us
all be apostles of the Holy Face of Jesus. Let us speak up and write on the
Holy Face. Let us stop doubting like St. Thomas, but believe, venerate, and
distribute copies and show the world the Holy Face of Jesus. I think, and I
really hope that one day the Holy Face of Jesus will be seen in all Catholic
churches. The Holy Face of Jesus is already in many Catholic cathedrals and
churches in Montréal, Quebec City and elsewhere.
What
should Catholics think and do about the devotion to the Holy Face?
Why
not have a nice, large, beautiful Holy Face picture in your living room, your
bedroom, in your Bible, Breviary and in your spiritual books? Like St. Paul,
you will be thinking and talking only of Jesus.
To
encourage the faithful to honor the Holy Face of Jesus, Jesus made wonderful
promises, just as He did with the twelve promises for those who practice the
devotion to His Sacred Heart.
Eight promises of Our Lord to those devoted to His Holy
Face
1.
I will grant them contrition so perfect that their very sins shall be changed
in My sight into jewels of precious gold.
2.
None of these persons shall ever be separated from Me.
3.
In offering My Face to My Father they will appease His anger and they will
purchase as with celestial coin pardon for poor sinners.
4.
I will open My Mouth to plead with My Father to grant all the petitions that
they will present to Me.
5.
I will illuminate them with My light, I will consume them with My love, I will
render them fruitful in good works.
6.
They will, as the pious Veronica, wipe My adorable Face outraged by sin, and I
will imprint My Divine Features in their souls.
7.
At their death, I will renew in them the image of God effaced by sin.
8.
By resemblance to My Face, they will shine more than many others in eternal
life and the brilliancy of My Face will fill them with joy.
These
priceless promises are drawn from the works of St. Gertrude, of St. Mechtilde
and from the writings of Sister Maria de Saint-Pierre, a Carmelite, who died at
Tours, in the odor of sanctity.
Family Consecration to the Holy Face of Jesus
O Lord Jesus, we believe most
firmly in Thee, we love Thee. Thou art the Eternal Son of God and the Son
Incarnate of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thou art the Lord and Absolute Ruler of
all creation. We acknowledge Thee, therefore, as the Universal Sovereign of all
creatures. Thou art the Lord and Supreme Ruler of all mankind, and we, in
acknowledging this, Thy dominion, consecrate ourselves to Thee now and forever.
Loving Jesus, we place our family under the protection of Thy Holy Face, and of
Thy Virgin Mother, Mary most sorrowful. We promise to be faithful to Thee for
the rest of our lives and to observe with fidelity Thy Holy Commandments. We
will never deny before men, Thee and Thy Divine rights over us and all mankind.
Grant us the grace to never sin again; nevertheless, should we fail, O Divine
Savior, have mercy on us and restore us to Thy grace. Radiate Thy Divine
Countenance upon us and bless us now and forever. Embrace us at the hour of
death in Thy Kingdom for all eternity, through the intercession of Thy Blessed
Mother, of all thy Saints who behold Thee in Heaven, and the just who glorify
Thee on earth, O Jesus, be mindful of us forever and never forsake us; protect
our family. O Mother of Sorrows, by the eternal glory which thou dost enjoy in
Heaven, through the merits of thy bitter anguish in the Sacred Passion of thy
Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for us the grace that the Precious
Blood shed by Jesus for the redemption of our souls, be not shed for us in vain.
We love thee, O Mary. Embrace us and bless us, O Mother. Protect us in life and
in death. Amen.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and
ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Iceman
and the Face[7]
Here is
an excerpt from my book on my South Pole adventure and my experience with the
Holy Face of Christ.
“I
thought about my experiences in Barbados, West Indies where I had a friendly
relationship with a Jesuit Priest on the Island. I was stationed in Barbados
after “A-School;” just prior to my assignment with MCB 71. It was luck or maybe
providence that I got my first assignment to Barbados, West Indies. At the end
of “A School”, I ended up having the highest-grade average-probably because I studied
and drank less than the others drank. The Chief had six orders for Vietnam and
one set of orders for Barbados. I was given the orders to Barbados.
It was
while I was in Barbados that I was examining my Catholic Faith and was
considering a faith change because I was also involved with a non-Catholic
Pentecostal religious group and because my Father had not practiced the
Catholic Faith. I was at a point where I had to decide to be a Catholic or not.
I was praying about it and one night I had a horrid dream where a horribly
disfigured face appeared in white on a dark background. I woke up in a sweat.
The Devil and Temptations[8]
There
are many and varied ways in which sin and evil are presented to us in an
attractive way.
In the
Home--Seeking God's Presence
·
Although you are not a priest, as a
baptized Catholic you have a power that you do not realize. St. Paul, in his
letter, told the Ephesians this truth (Eph. 1:19): "How very great is his
power that works in us is the same as the mighty strength which He used when He
raised Christ from death and seated Him at his right side in the heavenly
world. " Think about that for a while! The power of prayer is greater than
we know.
·
Although we do not have the power of an ordained
priest, we can ask God to protect and bless our homes. It is good for us to
keep blessed water in our homes and use it frequently. If we wish to ask God's
blessing on our own homes, we can say a simple prayer of blessing and then
sprinkle holy water in each room. Such a prayer of blessing could be something
like the following:
·
"Heavenly Father, we ask your blessing
upon our home. In the name of your Son Jesus we ask to be delivered from sin
and all evil influence. Protect us from sickness, accidents, theft and all
domestic tragedies. We place our home under the Lordship of Jesus and
consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May all who live here
receive your blessing of peace and love."
·
An "Our Father" and "Hail
Mary" could also be recited.
·
The consecration of the family and the home
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is another beautiful Catholic custom. We need to
have a crucifix and pictures of the Sacred Heart and Our Blessed Lady in our
homes. We want home to be a sacred place.
· There needs to be a place in the home where the members of the family come together to pray. In some Mexican families the custom of having a little altar with pictures or statues, not only of Jesus, Mary and the saints, but also pictures of members of the family is observed. It reminds us to pray for them.
Manhood of the Master[9]
In 1913 the renowned Harry Emerich Fosdick wrote a 12-week study on the Manhood of Jesus Christ. Fosdick writes, “This work is not a portrait of the life of the Master or a study of his teaching. It is an endeavor to understand and appreciate the quality of his character. Neither this this work an attempted to contribution to the theology; it is an endeavor, rather, to get back behind the thoughts of the centuries about him, and to see the Man Christ Jesus himself as he lives in the pages of the gospels.
During the Lenten period we will utilize the work to come closer to
Christ’s manhood using this source as fruit for a study of Christ. Hopefully
our study will help us rise with Christ and become true sons of Mary and the
Church.
Daily
Devotions/Practices
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 2 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
Tuesday:
Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary.
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