Lent:Ash Wednesday

For nearly 2,000 years and starting again today, Christians spiritually begin their 40-day Lenten celebrations to prepare themselves for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ during the Easter Triduum. Ashes placed on the foreheads of believers constitute an ancient symbol reminding the faithful of their human mortality (from dust to dust). It is also the visual cue to begin a serious period of prayer, reflection, fasting, confession and penance. This is a period dedicated to honestly assessing our sins and failings as humans and in our relationships with family members, friends, acquaintances, and the totality of humanity.

Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.

According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, during which he endured temptation by Satan. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this 40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting.
Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered after the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned.

This practice is common in much of Christendom, being celebrated by Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and some Baptist denominations.
So, once again Ash Wednesday is back calling us for a . For the next 6 weeks we should try to be a better Catholic, be a better person, pray more and go to church more.

The Ash reminds us these words
Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return.
-Genesis 3:19

Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.
-Mark 1:15

Fasting

Mathew 6:17 But you, when you fast anoint your head, and wash your face;
18 That you appear not to men to fast, but to your Father who is in secret: and your Father who sees in secret, will repay you.

Fasting is a very powerful way to obtaining control of our will, this mortification will be rewarded if it is done in secret. Many people fast but let everyone know that they are fasting, they already had their reward says the Lord.

Fasting purifies our bodies by clearing our bodies from toxins and giving rest to our digestive system, while at the same time our souls become more detached of the needs of the body, therefore giving more freedom to the spirit within us. The spiritual person then is more inclined to the things of the Spirit, he or she will feel more open to prayer and prayer will bring us closer to God.

However fasting is of no spiritual benefit if we don't combine it with sincere prayer and love to our neighbor. Fasting for the benefit of the body only, has nothing to do with the fasting that leads to repentance and a change of heart. Fasting is associated with the anguish of knowing our sinful nature and with the desire to be cleansed. Our Father in Heaven will reward us for the intentions of our hearts.
Fasting by our attitudes to others

Positive attitudes

Positive attitudes promote peace, love and joy, they relate firstly to our closest relatives, but they affect the whole world. Affirmative response to the following questions may improve our lives and the lives of others and will give us food for our spiritual fasting.

Do I smile to every person that I talk to?
Do I become concerned about the other person's problems?
Do I treat others respectfully?
Do I answer the phone with a smiling voice or do I sound unapproachable?
Do I acknowledge people or do I intentionally ignore them?
Do I at least nod my head in acceptance of people?
Do I try to please other people?
Do I try to make others' lives better by my encounter with them?
Do people experience peace when I talk to them?
Do I make people smile?
Am I truly pleasant?
Do I pray for others?

Negative attitudes

Negative attitudes create a bad atmosphere which indicates our spiritual weaknesses. By working to overcome the negative in our lives, we can fast spiritually and bring peace, kindness, love and and joy to others:

Am I irritable and despondent?
Am I impatient? Am I rude? Am I proud ?
Am I insincere ? Am I deceitful? Am I irritable?
Am I too fussy? Am I inconsiderate ? Am I imprudent?
Am I abusive?
Do I stare with contempt or disapproval of people who are doing wrong? Am I judgmental?
Am I impulsive? Do I become angry very easily?
Do I run away from someone who needs help?
Do I take advantage of opportunities that may hurt someone?
Do I abuse my authority?
Do I make others feel unimportant?
Am I always late for my appointments?
Do I always have to excuse my self because I know I am not doing the right thing?
Do I make people feel bad because I show off?
Do I pay my bills late?
Am I irresponsible?
Am I a terror on the road, do I drive like a maniac?
Do I drink and drive?
Am I discourteous? Am I disloyal? Am I a traitor?
Do I criticize people? Do I condemn them?
Do I practice the " I don't care attitude"?
Am I nice only to those who are nice to me?
Am I not talking to any one in particular because we had an argument or because I don't like that person?
Do I hate anyone? Have I ever cursed anyone?
Am I too severe with my "nearest and dearest'?
Do I practice what I preach?
Am I light on the outside but darkness on the inside?
Do I act dishonestly?
Am I always to busy to help anyone?
Do I care that when I smoke I affect the lives of others?
Do I get drunk and upset people?
Am I too noisy?
Do I annoy people with my actions?

So keeping these positive thoughts in mind let's prepare our self for a fruitful lent and Easter.