Ash Wednesday!
You guessed right!
And since tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, be sure to beef up (no pun intended) on all the must-know Lent information by reading up on it in the
ANNUAL LENT FIGHT.
Author: Jimmy Akin
Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."
View all posts by Jimmy Akin
Jimmy,
With all due respect, your appeal to canon law and liturgical norms to SMASH the pious custom of referring to Lent as 40 days has a stench of
“Pluto-is-not-a-planet-because-it-hasn’t-cleared-it’s-own-orbit” to it.
But again, the pious custom is to reckon it as the 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday excluding Sundays. Yes, yes, Sundays are part of lent and yes, the Triduum is not Lent, but it is a sort of “uber-lent” so why not just acknowledge this and note that canon law is a bit more nuanced if anyone cares.
Oh yeah and to spoil another one, that whole “brontosaurus” you learned about as a kid was really a messed up “Brachiosaurus”…
But, Pluto is not a planet.
here we go……
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 21, 2007 Here is a translation of Benedict XVI’s address at today’s general audience. The Pope dedicated his address to Ash Wednesday.
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Ash Wednesday, which we celebrate today, is for us Christians a particular day, characterized by an intense spirit of recollection and reflection. We begin, in fact, the Lenten journey, time of listening to the word of God, of prayer and of penance. They are 40 days in which the liturgy will help us to relive the important phases of the mystery of salvation.
I’m not arguing against the legal, canonical status of Sundays or the Easter Triduum. Just to demonstrate that it’s not “wrong” to reckon it as the 40 days we’ve explained.
It seems that the symbollic nature of the number is more meaningful as a spiritual aid than the literal canonical definition, that’s all.
Saint Leo the Great did himself declare in Sermo 6,1-2 concerning Lent:
“To this end we follow with care and devotion the apostolic custom of a forty-day fast in which we abstain not simply from bodily food but primarily from all evildoing.”
Just wondering here, is anyone on this board doing anything other than the standard “no meat on Friday during Lent”? Is anyone fasting according to the old Pre-Vatican II rules, Benedictine rules, Eastern Catholic rules etc?
Just curious.
Our Father,
Who art
in Heaven
Hallowed be
Thy Name
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will
be done
on Earth
as it is in Heaven
Inocencio batting cleanup today?
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgives our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Lord, have mercy on all who are involved with pornography, may they repent and seek You.
Take care and God bless,
Inocencio
J+M+J
Tim J.,
Yes, inbetween chasing kids around the house.
Have a holy and joyful Lent!
Take care and God bless,
Inocencio
J+M+J
You as well, Inocencio.
Did you happen to notice that the Lord’s prayer is 40 words if you do not count the AMEN or any two-letter words…
Hey, that’s kind of cool…
Just wondering here, is anyone on this board doing anything other than the standard “no meat on Friday during Lent”? Is anyone fasting according to the old Pre-Vatican II rules, Benedictine rules, Eastern Catholic rules etc?
This reminds me of SDG’s post on fasting more.
I try to fast pretty rigorously during Lent…I’ll share this in the hopes that it may encourage others.
This year, as in previous years, my intention (God willing) is to fast completely from Ash Wednesday through Thursday and Friday, taking nothing but water until Saturday. (So right now on Thursday evening I’ve taken nothing but water since Tuesday.)
For the rest of Lent, I hope (God willing) to fast four days a week, Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday…so I eat normally on Wednesdays and on the weekends.
By “eating normally” I mean three meals a day…I still try to cut out snacks, rich desserts(sp?) and special treats, as well as my usual glass (or two) of wine in the evenings…and of course (there’s a reason it’s a cliche) chocolate, while I admit I love too much.
With God’s help, I have followed this regimen in previous Lents (though not every year.) I haven’t suffered ill health effects…on the contrary, not that that’s the point. However, as noted in SDG’s fasting post, it’s probably best to consult with a doctor…and a priest…before greatly exceeding your comfort zone.)
Rigorous fasting combined with prayer can be a powerful source of grace. The first year I tried it I was actually playing Jesus in a church pageant that easter, and I definately needed extra graces that year…but then I do this year too.
I don’t know much about pre-Vatican2, Benedictine or Eastern-Catholic disciplines…can anyone explain?
Wow, No Handle!
I’ll have to offer prayers for the strength to fast like that!
It’s a comparatively minor patch of discomfort in what is generally a very comfortable life. 🙂 Boredom and will-power fatigue…not hunger…are the biggest obstacles.
Did you happen to notice that the Lord’s prayer is 40 words if you do not count the AMEN or any two-letter words…
Do you happen to know why we use the word “Quadragesima” in terms of Lent?