Lent

Our Lenten journey begins on March 5.  Every year, I ask the school children a series of questions on Lent.  Let us take a look at the questions. 
1.  On what day does Lent officially begin?  The answer is Ash Wednesday.  Every Ash Wednesday the words of the gospel remind us, during Lent, to pray, fast, and give alms.
2.  How many days mark the Lenten journey?  Answer:  40 days.  Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the desert.  Our Lenten journey is the found in the desert, a place that calls us away form chaos to quiet and prayer.
3.  We are asked to abstain during Lent?  From what do we abstain.  We abstain from meat as the word "abstain" means to stay away from/rid ourselves of something.
4.  At liturgies, what color does a priest wear during Lent?  Primarily, a priest wears violet.  Rose is optional on the Fourth Sunday of Lent.  Violet symbolizes preparing, for Christ's sacrifice upon the cross, and penance.
5.  On Ash Wednesday, we receive ashes on your forehead.  Where do ashes come from?  Answer:  Old palms.  The palms that the people waved on Palm Sunday hailed the new king.  The shouts of the people would differ greatly on Good Friday when they asked for Jesus' death.  How often we hail Christ as king only to discard him through our self-centeredness.  Palms are burned, as our sins are to be burned, and placed upon our foreheads to remind us of where salvation is found, in Jesus Christ.
6.  Can non-Catholics receive ashes?  Yes, provided they desire to turn from sin, believe in Jesus, and follow him.  Many non-Catholics receive ashes in Catholic Church's on Ash Wednesday throughout the world.
7.  In the Bible we read that Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the desert.  What did he do for 40 days and nights.  Answer:  Fasted and prayed.  As mentioned earlier, the gospel of Ash Wednesday calls us to pray, fast, and give alms.
8.  What is the purpose of Lent?  Lent reminds us that Jesus came to destroy sin, die on the cross for our sin, and rise to new life cleansed of our sin that we may have life with him.

May your Lenten journey be filled with grace and blessings!

Father Peter Schuster