Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Today is Mardi Gras, Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday

Did you know that Ash Wednesday is the day after Mardi Gras, otherwise known as Shrove Tuesday?

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a forty day spiritual experience, the Lenten Season, marked by fasting, abstinence from meat, and repentance of sins. Shrove Tuesday is the Carnival day where one has a final experience of non-fasting, non-abstinence, and non-repentance (apparently Carnival in Latin means "farewell, meat").

Though Ash Wednesday has not been a day observed in my religious heritage, I will be acknowledging it this year by fasting and repentance of sins. During Lent I plan on abstaining from some items that I have chosen which, by doing without, I believe will be a good experience for my soul.

How about you? Are you interested in observing Lent this year? Do you feel a prompting to begin fasting once a week? Do you sense that there is something you should abstain from for the sake of your soul? Do you have somethings you need to repent of in the next forty days?

 Maybe Ash Wednesday could be a New Day for you?

1 comment:

Trevor said...

Ash Wednesday hasn't been a part of my church culture, but I have found a great appreciation for Lent as a whole in the last few years. I will be giving some things up and doing some fasting. It is good for the soul!