L’Observateur / Febuary 17, 1999

Today marks the first day of renewal for Catholics around the world, as Ash Wednesday launches the renowned season of Lent.

The Ash Wednesday tradition dates back more than 900 years and officially opens the season of preparation for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Traditionally, palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration are burned to create the ashes which are placed on the foreheads of Christians. The ashes are a reminder of man’s mortality, said the Rev.Benny Piovan, pastor of Ascension of Our Lord Church in LaPlace.

“We are reminded that this life comes to an end,” Piovan said. The ashesare placed on the forehead in the form of a cross, the sign of the Christian, marking the start of Lent which is a season of prayer, fasting and abstinence.

During the Lenten season Catholics become aware of the sin in their lives and strive for repentance by undergoing a 40-day renewal process.

The time frame for renewal dates back to the early church, where 40 days were used to prepare for the holiest day on the church calendar – the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Easter Sunday.

This traditional time frame is also symbolic of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert praying and fasting after his baptism, the 40 days Moses spent in the mountains before receiving the laws from God and the 40 days and 40 nights Elijah walked straight to the mountain of God, Piovan explained.

The 40 days of Lent are more than merely a time to “give something up,” Piovan said.

“It’s prayer, fast, abstinence and good works,” he explained. “So the givingup should not be, for instance, a fasting to diet. It should be fasting forpenance. The benefit of the fasting should be what you don’t need and don’tuse, you give to the poor.”Piovan said all 40 days should be days of penance, but more specifically, Catholics should fast and abstain on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstain from meat every Friday. On Sunday, the Lord’s Day, there is noparticular abstinence, he said.

The final week of Lent, called Holy Week, begins with the blessing of the palms on the eve of Palm Sunday, Piovan explained. The ceremony is areminder of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem for the last time before his Passover, Crucifixion and Resurrection, and the palms are used at the beginning of every Mass on Palm Sunday, he said.

Holy Thursday initiates the solemn three days, Piovan said. There is theMass of the Last Supper on Thursday night followed by adulation to midnight. Good Friday is the veneration of the cross, and the main serviceis the reading of the Passion of Christ and the veneration of Christ with the communion service, he said.

A night vigil is held on Holy Saturday with several readings telling the history of salvation and blessing of the fire and the lighting of the Pastoral candle.

“And from that candle, all the participants light their own candle from the light of Christ,” Piovan said. “It is a vivid demonstration how we becomelight of Christ by lighting our lights from the Pastoral candle which is symbolic of Christ’s resurrection.”On Saturday and Easter Sunday Holy Water is blessed and baptisms are held, especially for adults being baptized and received into the church, Piovan explained. Confirmations and first communions are also conducted,and there is a renewal of baptismal vows and the sprinkling of Easter water for the entire congregation, he added.

Lent, deriving from Old English meaning spring, symbolizes renewal as does spring. Piovan said that just as people do their home spring cleaning,Lent is a time to undergo spiritual spring cleaning.

“As you prune trees and weed gardens, you weed the spiritual guide of your soul,” he said

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