This was a question overheard during a conversation that transpired among the kids yesterday as our oldest child announced that because it was Ash Wednesday, we will have ashes placed on our foreheads during the Mass, while the priest says: “You are dust and to dust you shall return.”
The imposition of dust on our foreheads symbolizes a few different but interrelated things. It reminds us of our sinful nature which we inherited from our first parents who committed the Original Sin. Through it we realize that the sins we commit separate ourselves from God, and insisting on our sinful ways will lead us to death, and to dust we will return. Ashes symbolize how Jesus gave up His own Life in order to replace the burnt offerings made by the priests in the Old Testament. Hence it reminds us about the Passion and Death that Christ had to endure in order to pay the ransom for our sins and be reconciled to our Creator.
Wearing ashes on our forehead represents our acceptance of our sinfulness, our guilt and need for repentance and works of penance in order to merit Salvation. Ashes have always been a symbol for penance, repentance and mourning, even as referred to in Holy Scripture (see Jonah 3:4-10, Jeremiah 6:26, Gen 2:7). Jesus Himself (in Matthew 11:21) declared this association of ashes with penance when He said: "Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes."
LENTEN RESOLUTIONS MOBILE
Yesterday morning we talked about the significance of Ash Wednesday in our lives as children of our Holy Mother Church. We talked about how this occasion marks the time when Jesus had gone to the desert to strengthen Himself before facing His most difficult task: dying on the Cross for for the sins of mankind. To make reparation for our sins and to make Jesus and Mamma Mary "happy" we each made resolutions to practice and fulfil during Lent.
Each child had to make an evaluation of the things they are doing at the moment that may not be right, and what they can do to change it. Based on the 3 major areas recommended by the Church for us to work on during Lent, as faithful - i.e. Prayer, Fasting/Self-Denial, Almsgiving/Charity, the children came up with things such as undertaking individual prayer time in the middle of the day (besides our evening family prayer), being more reverent at Mass, avoiding sweets this Lent and only watching TV for 1 hour after school, demonstrating right away obedience to Mom and Dad, performing chores cheerfully, being more helpful towards siblings, etc.
For myself I have already decided much earlier that I was going to give up Facebook/Friendster for Lent (seeing that I was having so much fun on it, especially on Facebook), cutting right back on unnecessary shopping/spending, and abstaining from chocolates and other junkfood (which I practically live on in normal circumstances!); hubby agreed that he will not be watching any NBA telecast this Lent; and for us as a family we will generally try to observe the Lenten fast and abstinence, and try to maintain a more solemn mood around the house throughout the season. (Over the next few weeks we also plan to engage in other activities to help us "do more for Jesus.")
In order to be constantly reminded of their resolutions, we all joined efforts to construct a "mobile" for each child (except, of course, for Brighteyes who is barely 2). All the kids had a nice time doing this craft, and even Tatay (Dad) got involved by making the mobile frames from wire coat hangers. For the hanging symbols we used laminated pictures to represent their resolutions, which were hung on the frames with cotton yarn.
After completing the mobiles, we asked each child to explain what the symbols meant for them this Lent, mainly to see if they understood the point of the activity. To reinforce the concept, we also said that these mobiles represent their "promise to Jesus:" their promise to become a better person.
ALLELUIA FAREWELL
With the advent of Lent, one of the most noticeable changes in the Liturgy is the elimination of ALLELUIA along with the Gloria. We talked about Alleluia being an ancient word used for joyful praise, and that because Lent is a time of repentance, penance and mourning, Alleluia is neither recited or chanted but reserved for the celebrations of rejoicing starting at Easter Vigil.
To bring this exercise across to our family, we picked a simple activity that would highlight this. Each child had an Alleluia card, printed in their favourite colours and they had individually decorated them with crayons. These were laminated and used during evening prayer time where we recited a prayer of bidding ‘farewell to Alleluia,’ offering them at the foot of Our Lady’s statue and covering them up with a purple cloth, with purple being the colour of penance. (I have read somewhere that Christians in ancient times processed on the streets carrying wooden Alleluia signs and actually buried them, and they would take them out at Easter.) Whilst currently hidden, our ALLELUIAs will reappear and be prominently displayed at Eastertide.
We went to Ash Wednesday evening Mass where the discussions throughout the day were finally concretized. It was, of course, wonderful to enter the Lenten Season by receiving Jesus sacramentally in our hearts through Holy Communion. We all had ashes crossed on our foreheads and even on the way home, the kids were still comparing their ash-marks. :D
On the drive back home we also talked about choosing our patron saints for this season to guide, help and intercede for us toward the fulfillment of our resolutions. (Yes, we will need all the help we can get most especially at moments of weakness, during the times when we let ourselves "slip-up.") I had personally chosen Our Lady of Sorrows, and the kids chose St Padre Pio and St Bernadette (whose feastday is today!) - they both have suffered much for Jesus during their lifetime. And I am yet to find out whom hubby has chosen. ;)
What a great period for working towards spiritual growth. We are always eager to take advantage of opportunities to enrich our life as a domestic church. And Lent gives us several beautiful opportunities to do this. Over the season, we look forward to being able to help the children understand various aspects of the Catholic faith that we have grown to love so much. And relying purely on God's grace and providence, we look forward to learning more and growing together as a family, and helping each other live our faith more fully.
Ash Wednesday Prayer:
Heavenly Father, let us enter the season of Lent in the spirit of joy; giving ourselves to spiritual strife, cleansing our soul and body, controlling our passions, as we limit our food, living on the virtues of the Holy Spirit. Let us persevere in our longing for Christ so as to be worthy to behold His most solemn Passion and the most holy Passover, rejoicing the while with spiritual joy. Amen.
The purpose of our Lenten Observance is NOT to prove that we are spiritually strong by our acts of penance and self-denial, but rather to get us in touch with our spiritual weakness and continual need for God's grace and mercy. (Fr Roger Vandenakker, Companions of the Cross)
