Ashes and Fasts
It’s Ash Wednesday. Which means that yesterday was Mardi Gras, which I had actually forgotten until I complimented someone last night on the fleur-de-lis earrings she was wearing, and she replied that they were her Mardi Gras earrings.
Mardi Gras is Mardi Gras because Ash Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a season of forty days leading up to Easter, during which we recall Jesus’ forty days of temptation in the wilderness, and reflect on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and to the cross. It is a season to remember Jesus’ sacrifices, which often entails making sacrifices of our own in solidarity.
In some traditions, Lent used to mean (perhaps still does in some places) giving up meat and dairy products. So all of these things had to be used up before Ash Wednesday, so that they wouldn’t be wasted. Thus the pancake supper you will find some places on Mardi Gras. All of that milk, all of that bacon and sausage, all of those eggs – they have to be used up somehow. Whatever you may be giving up or fasting during Lent, Mardi Gras became a day to “live it up” before forty days of self-deprivation began. Thus the name, Mardi Gras, which is French for “Fat Tuesday”. Fatten up good and plenty on Tuesday, because on Wednesday the fasting begins.
During Lent, whether in addition to or instead of actual fasts, many will follow certain disciplines of prayer or study or other spiritual disciplines, in order to draw their minds completely back to Jesus and attempt to shut out distractions. As far as fasting, or giving things up, I like to think in terms of giving up anger, gossip, slander, vanity, selfishness, and other attitudes which make us less loving of God and neighbor. As far as disciplines, I always want to add a few things which will help me slow down, help me be more mindful of what I am doing and why I am doing it.
One discipline I commit myself to for 2012: I will write in this blog every day during Lent. Not a book, maybe not even a particularly long post. But I will write something. A prayer, a scripture that is on my mind, a thought, a hymn lyric. In order to remember to pray, to read scripture, to think, to sing. In order to remember what I am doing and why I am doing it.
Happy Lenting.
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