Ash Wednesday and Easter are movable feasts. The date for Easter is determined by the lunar calendar rather than the solar calendar. Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (the start of spring) on March 21. I love that fact. I've been a follower of the full moon all my life. It's beautiful that it determines important dates in the ecclesiastical calendar. The moon reminds me of God's faithfulness.
Ash Wednesday can occur as early as February 04 and as late as March 10. This year it occurs today, February 10. That means that we will celebrate Easter Sunday on March 27. Don't expect to wear shorts and a t-shirt this Easter. Make sure your new Easter bonnet provides warmth.
This blog is just over three years old. This is the fourth Ash Wednesday in its life. The blogmeister seems to realize that I am in constant need of remembering God's mercy and all the spiritual challenges and truths of Lent. I've submitted all four pieces on Ash Wednesday.
This year's celebration occurs in the Jubilee of Mercy. Pope Francis has reminded us almost daily in his pontificate about the fact that God's mercy is offered to anyone who desires it. And it's offered over and over again. All we have to do is ask! And we all are certainly in need of that constant gift of mercy.
The Prophet Joel reminds us of God’s invitation to return to God with all our heart. “Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.” We have the beautiful words from Psalm 51: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” Let me offer these wise words from Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J. as we set out on this forty-day pilgrimage.
"Dust – truly a splendid symbol. Dust, this is the image of the commonplace. There is always more than enough of it. One fleck is as good as the next. Dust is the image of anonymity: one fleck is like the next, and all are nameless. It is the symbol of indifference: What does it matter whether it is this dust or that dust? It is all the same. Dust is the symbol of nothingness: because it lies around so loosely, it is easily stirred up, it blows around blindly, is stepped upon and crushed – and nobody notices. It is a nothing that is just enough to be – a nothing.
Dust is the symbol of coming to nothing: it has no content, no form, no shape; it blows away, the empty, indifferent, colourless, aimless, unstable booty of senseless change, to be found everywhere, and nowhere at home. Truly, then, scripture is right. We are dust. We are always in the process of dying. We are the beings who set our course for death, when we set out on life's journey, and steer for death, clearly and inexorably. We are the only beings who know about this tendency to death. We are dust!"
Blessings on your Lenten journey!