Lent: a preparation for Easter Lent is a time of preparation for Easter. In the Easter liturgies, one of the main events is the baptism of Catechumens. At the same time, the established members of the community renew their baptismal promises. So our Lenten preparations have a strong baptismal focus. This focus is obvious in the readings throughout the season. For further information on the readings for the Lenten season see Sunday Readings for the Season of Lent. Also, here is a useful link to a liturgical calendar. 40 days preparation Lent is known as a forty-day preparation time, although it is actually 44 days long. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends just before the Celebration of the Mass of the Lord s Supper on Holy Thursday evening. Forty is a significant number in the Bible: Moses (Ex 34:28), Elijah (I Kgs 19:8) and Jesus (Mt 4:2; Lk 4:1-2) all fasted for forty days; the great flood lasted for forty days and nights (Gen 7:17); and the Israelites wandered for forty years in the desert before they arrived at the promised land (Josh 5:6). The colour and flavour of Lent Lent has a penitential flavour and that is why the colour purple is prominent in the liturgy: the priest wears violet coloured vestments. This shade of purple is sombre and it expresses the mellow, serious and reflective mood that we experience during Lent. Being Easter people during Lent As Christians we are always Easter people: every Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. So, even during Lent, the purpose of our penitential practices (almsgiving, prayer and
2 fasting) is not to make us gloomy, but to help make us better disciples of Jesus and remind us how to be Easter people. How do we prepare for Easter? The liturgy for Ash Wednesday, (ie, the prayers and readings of the Ash Wednesday Mass) tells us what to do during Lent: (1) we should be conscious of those in need by giving to the poor; (2) we should adopt a penitential frame of mind by reflecting on our shortcomings, expressing sorrow for our sins and praying for God s forgiveness; and (3) we should act in a penitential way by fasting, or doing without something we like. Almsgiving, prayer and fasting are essential to our Lenten journey to Easter. As Christians, we are a community, we are the people of God, we are the Church. So the first thing we do on Ash Wednesday is to gather and get into the right frame of mind for our journey together. Ash Wednesday readings The readings for Ash Wednesday are the same every year. The first reading is a call to assembly. First Reading: Joel 2:12-18 In the first reading we are urged to be sorry for our sins - Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn but our repentance has to be authentic, not just for show. We are assured that God is loving and compassionate. Then, when we are in the right frame of mind, we are called to a solemn assembly. This is a gathering which includes everyone from the youngest to the oldest and even newlyweds. Together we pray humbly, but confidently, to our loving God. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 50:3-6. 12-14. 17 In the Psalm we acknowledge our sinfulness and ask for God s help so that we can live better lives. Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 St Paul reminds us that there is no time like the present to be reconciled to God. He also reminds us that, as Christians, we are ambassadors for Christ. Being a representative of Christ means that by our actions we can show others how to live good lives. Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 In this reading from Matthew s gospel, Jesus urges us to be authentic in our actions and words, ie in our almsgiving, prayer and fasting. This means that when we give to the poor, we do so with open hearts because we genuinely want to help. We are not looking for praise the focus is not on me, but on those in need. It also means that when we pray, we open our hearts to God. We are not kneeling in prayer for others to see how pious and good we are the focus is not on me, but on God. Lastly, it means that when we fast (that is, doing without luxuries such as sweets or spending less time playing video games), we simplify our daily lives and redirect our energies to focus on what really matters, eg helping others and spending time with God in prayer. Again, the focus is not on me, but on others and on God.
3 Ashing to prepare for Easter Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. On Ash Wednesday we are marked with ash as a sign that we are ready to begin our Lenten journey towards Easter. Like all liturgical symbols, ash has many layers of meaning. Ash: a reminder to repent The use of sackcloth and ashes to signify mourning and repentance is recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the gospels, Jesus refers to them in the same way: If the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes (NRSV Matt 11:21). In the early church it was customary for penitents to be given robes of sackcloth and to be sprinkled with ashes on the Wednesday before the first Sunday of Lent Ash Wednesday. Towards the end of the 11 th century, when public penitence was no longer practiced, it became customary for all the faithful to use ashes as a sign of penitence during Lent. One of the texts used in the ashing ritual says: Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel (Mark 1:15). This reminds us: (1) to reflect on our shortcomings during Lent; (2) that we need God s forgiveness for the wrong things we have done; (3) to try to be better disciples of Jesus; and (4) it puts us in the right frame of mind to prepare for Easter. Ash: a reminder of our mortality The use of ashes reminds us of our humble status before God. We are carbon based life forms, created by God. When we die, our bodies return to the earth. One of the texts used in the ashing ritual says: Remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return. This gives us a Lenten focus: (1) it puts us in our place; (2) it brings us down to earth; (3) it reminds us to be aware of our limitations; and (4) it puts us in the right frame of mind to prepare for Easter. Ash: a cleansing symbol Like most symbols, ash has many meanings. Curiously, ash used to be one of the ingredients in soap. Here is a website that explains how ash can be used to make soap. Ash: a preparation for Easter At Easter we celebrate the Paschal Mystery, ie that Jesus lived on earth, died and rose from the dead in order to save us from our sins. The most important reason for using ash on Ash Wednesday is to prepare for Easter in the right frame of mind and with the right actions. The right frame of mind means being mindful of our sinfulness and asking God for forgiveness. The right actions are listed in the Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday: prayer, fasting and giving to the poor (see Matt 6:1-6, 16-18).
4 Ashing ritual At the Ash Wednesday Mass in the parish, the blessing of the ashes takes place after the gospel and homily. So, by the time we are marked with ashes, we have heard what the ashes mean and what we must do during Lent to prepare for Easter. The priest blesses the ashes with holy water and then puts ash on the foreheads of all those who come forward, saying to each: Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel or Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return (used less frequently now). When we leave the liturgy wearing our ashes, we begin our forty-day Lenten journey to Easter. It may not be practical for the whole school to go to the parish celebration; but student representatives from each class might participate. Each student could then return with a bowl of blessed ashes to their classroom. The parish connection is important because it reinforces the sense that Ash Wednesday is celebrated by the whole Church and that their school is a small part of a larger community. Classroom liturgy suggestions A prayer space can be set up in an appropriate place in the classroom. You will need: purple cloth candle Lectionary or Bible a small bowl for ashes ashes - made by pulverising barbecue charcoal with a hammer (lightly moisten for ritual use) hand wipes for cleaning fingers afterwards the phrase for ashing Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel should be clearly visible, eg on the whiteboard or projector screen
5 Ash Wednesday ritual for the classroom Gather students in a circle and place a candle, a purple cloth and a bowl of blessed ashes at the centre of the gathering. Wait for everyone to be quiet and then have a few moments of reflective silence before starting the ritual. The lighting of the candle might be a good starting point for the silence. Leader Reader 1 It is best if the Bible or Lectionary (from the prayer space) is used for this reading Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of our Lenten preparation for Easter. We use these ashes (hold up the bowl) as a sign that we are sorry for all the bad choices we have made in our lives. The mark of ash on our foreheads will remind us that we need God s forgiveness. It will also remind us to be better followers of Jesus as we prepare our hearts and minds for Easter. Let us pray: Make the sign of the Cross In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen A reading from the gospel of Matthew: (MT 6:1-6, 16-18)... Have some quite time here play some music if that helps. Reader 2 Reader 3 Reader 4 In a moment we will be marked with ash on our foreheads. My mark will be a sign that I will try to be helpful and generous to those in need during Lent. I m not doing this to be rewarded, but because I really want to help others. Will you join me? Yes My ash mark will be a sign that I will spend more time with God in prayer every day during Lent. It s not that I want people to think I m extra holy! I just want to be more aware of God s presence in my day... and I need to ask for help to be a better follower of Jesus. Will you join me? Yes My mark will be a sign that I ll try to do without something maybe the biscuits I usually eat after school or the 30 mins I spend playing computer games at night. I don t need to make a big show of giving something up, I just want to focus on more
6 Leader Leader important things during Lent. Will you join me? Yes We have agreed to focus on important things like helping people and praying. These ashes will remind us to stick to our Lenten promises. (The leader begins by ashing the person next to them.) Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel. (The leader passes the ash to that person and they ash the next repeating the phrase... and so on until all are ashed. The mark of ash can be in the shape of a cross, or a smear in any event, the ash itself is the symbol not the shape.) We go into our day wearing our ash marks and we go with joy, looking forward to Easter. Let us offer each other a sign of peace. make the sign of peace and then sing an appropriate song if desired. Preparing for Easter: Celebrating Lent was produced by ResourceLink @ Brisbane Catholic Education in 2012 Teachers may copy, modify or distribute this resource freely. Text & Graphics: Dr Jenny Close