Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday, in the Western Church, the first day of Lent, being the seventh Wednesday before Easter. On this day ashes are placed on the foreheads of the faithful to remind them of death, of the sorrow they should feel for their sins, and of the necessity of changing their lives. the practice, which dates from the early Middle Ages, is common among Roman Catholics, Anglicans and Episcopalians, and many Lutherans; it was also adopted by some Methodists and Presbyterians in the 1990's.

I remember so vividly, when the children were young, Ashley observing a woman with Ashes on her forehead on Ash Wednesday. Insistently, Ashley turns to me and in a VERY LOUD preschooler whisper says, "Mommy, that lady has dirt on her face". My face of course turned red as I tried to explain Ash Wednesday to my then four year old. Those days are past but each year Ash Wednesday is a visual reminder of lent. In many countries, the last day before Lent (called Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Carnival or Fasching) has become a last fling before the solemnity of Lent. For centuries it was customary to fast by abstaining from meat during Lent, which is why some people call the festival Carnival, which is Latin for farewell to meat.

From Wikipedia: Lent, in some, is the forty-day long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where according to the Bible he endured temptation by Satan.

Many modern Protestants (of which I am one) consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation. they may decide to give up a favorite food or drink (e.g. chocolate or alcohol) or activity (e.g., going to the movies, playing video games, etc.) for Lent, or they may instead take on a Lenten discipline such as devotions, volunteering or charity work.

So, as I drove to work today I thought about what I would "give up" for Lent. Following a news story about alcohol consumption and a subsequent increase in breast cancer risk (Even as little as one drink per day!) the choice was easy. for the next 40 plus days, I'm alcohol free. I joked with Randy about this, had I known I was going to make this commitment, I would have partied up on Fat Tuesday! Randy thought he might give up working in the vineyard for Lent- I needed to gently remind him it was not giving up a chore or something you find difficult in the first place, rather something you find pleasure in or enjoy. He is still thinking about what that might be .

So, let's see how it goes. Is it too early to be planning Easter dinner . . . and the appropriate wine to go with it?