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Christians usher in Lent
Catholics began the forty- day period of fasting and praying, referred to as Lent yesterday with the commemoration of Ash Wednesday. Churches were packed for the regular Ash Wednesday prayers and services, as well as the act of having the cross prepared from the burnt palm branches from the last Palm Sunday, placed on the foreheads of many.
Vicar General of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Georgetown, Monsignor Terrence Montrose, said that Lent is a special time of preparation for Easter when the Church welcomes the newly- baptized and new members.
“This 40 days and 40 nights is set aside for fasting, praying, and alms-giving. At the end of that, we will sing the Gloria, on Easter Saturday night when all things will become new; when new members will be baptized and accepted; when we will light our candles again to remind us who we were— lights of Christ in our world today, not yesterday, not tomorrow, but today”, he noted.
Ash Wednesday dates back to the days leading to the crucifixion some 2000 years ago. “In the Old Testament, for example, it’s a sign of repentance…submission to God. People used to sit in the ashes and throw it over their bodies, as a sign of nothingness…asking God’s forgiveness. That tradition has come down even today. Every Ash Wednesday, we throw ashes on ourselves as a sign that we are sorry for our sins and we ask God to help us to overcome our sins.”
“We recognize that we are not great people. In the old days, Kings and everybody else used to put on sackcloth and throw ashes on themselves, as a sign of repentance”.
Monsignor Montrose said that Lent is about making sacrifices. “All during Lent, we do sacrifices, we say special prayers, we do special works and so on, all the time, praying and asking God to help us to overcome all those sins we have that prevent us from becoming who He truly is”.
He urged Christians to find some time to pray during the day and make small sacrifices to get closer to God. “Each of us is asked to find some time during the day to pray; to make some time to pray. During Lent, the church will be opened at 6 o’ clock and will be closed in the evening, but we will have Mass at midday every day during Lent. “
He urged those observing Lent to harness their bodies and desires during the penitential season so that they can become stronger when Lent is over.
“I remember years ago, I had a young friend who used to drink a lot of beers but every Lent, he gave it up completely— every Lent, he gave up— 40 days and 40 nights no beers! But I was always appalled that at Easter Sunday, he drank for the rest of the time he was fasting; that’s not the idea. The idea is that we go through these exercises and we are able to harness our desires, harness our cravings, harness our bodies”, he added.
Lent comes at a time this year when the Spiritual Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he will resign on February 28, due to health reasons, much to the shock and surprise to many Catholics around the world. A new pope is however expected to usher in Easter with the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.
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