Wikipedia says about “Ash Wednesday” (en.wikipedia.org):
“Ash Wednesday is
traditionally observed with fasting and abstinence from meat in several
Christian denominations. … Many Christians begin Ash Wednesday by marking a
Lenten calendar, praying a Lenten daily devotional, and making a Lenten
sacrifice that they will not partake of until the arrival of Eastertide.
“Many Christians
attend special Ash Wednesday church services at which churchgoers receive ash
on their foreheads or the top of their heads, as the wearing of ashes was a
sign of repentance in biblical times. Ash Wednesday derives its name from this
practice, in which the placement of ashes is accompanied by the words,
"Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or the dictum "Remember that
you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The ashes are prepared by
burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations.”
On Facebook, Crossworks says:
“We have been
working hard these past days and as we enter the Holy Week, we also prepare
ourselves spiritually. Fasting is one of the things we offer during the Lenten
season and even if it's to an end, we still have a few days to apply the
following suggestions from Pope Francis about fasting. We may apply these in
our every day life at work and in our personal lives even after the Holy Week.”
(image above)
I say, “Pope
Francis has just blessed us with astounding greetings that implore us and at
the same time bless us, whether we are Roman Catholics or not.
I elucidate the
greetings:
“Fast from Sadness
& be filled with Gratitude.” However, whichever, whoever, wherever you are
in life, don’t give up to sadness! Be Thankful always and ever, whatever the
circumstances. Me, I thank God twice a day, with my prayer before I close my
eyes to sleep in the evening, and after I wake up in the morning – “Thank you,
Lord, for another day/night of blessings….”
“Fast from hurting
words & say kind words.” When you are angry, almost automatically you curse
the other person. But remember, when you are angry at someone but decide to
“keep your peace” anyway, you are at peace! You owe it to yourself to be at
peace with the world no matter what!
“Fast from Anger
& be filled with Patience.” It seems the best way to learn Patience is to
check yourself when you are angry. Remember this: When you are angry, the first person you hurt is yourself!
“Fast from
Pessimism & be filled with Hope.” It’s so easy to lose hope. But when you
are able to check your Pessimism, Hope comes to visit and blesses your soul.
I hope you’re
listening! This is not only for Catholics like me.@517
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