Ash Wednesday is the official beginning of the season of Lent.
What is required of me on Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday is an obligatory day of fasting and abstinence (from meat).
What happens on Ash Wednesday?
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. In addition, a special rite is performed where the faithful receive ashes on their foreheads.
What is the purpose of the ashes?
In Biblical times, ashes were used as a sign of mourning. We receive the ashes to remind us that we are entering a season of penance focusing on, and preparing for, Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
In addition, the ashes are a symbol of our mortality. They serve as a reminder that we will die and are reliant upon God's grace and mercy. "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return." ~ Genesis 3:19
The listing of the 12 can be found in Genesis 49. It contains the following:
Jacob called his sons and said: "Gather around, that I may tell you what is to happen to you in days to come. "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father.
"You, Reuben, my first-born, my strength and the first fruit of my manhood, excelling in rank and excelling in power! Unruly as water, you shall no longer excel, for you climbed into your father's bed and defiled my couch to my sorrow.
"Simeon and Levi, brothers indeed, weapons of violence are their knives. Let not my soul enter their council, or my spirit be joined with their company; For in their fury they slew men, in their willfulness they maimed oxen. Cursed be their fury so fierce, and their rage so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob, disperse them throughout Israel.
"You, Judah, shall your brothers praise - your hand on the neck of your enemies; the sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah, like a lion's whelp, you have grown up on prey, my son. He crouches like a lion recumbent, the king of beasts - who would dare rouse him? The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs, While tribute is brought to him, and he receives the people's homage. He tethers his donkey to the vine, his purebred ass to the choicest stem. In wine he washes his garments his robe in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.
"Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore (This means a shore for ships), and his flank shall be based on Sidon.
"Issachar is a rawboned ass, crouching between the saddlebags. When he saw how good a settled life was, and how pleasant the country, He bent his shoulder to the burden and became a toiling serf.
"Dan shall achieve justice for his kindred like any other tribe of Israel. Let Dan be a serpent by the roadside, a horned viper by the path, That bites the horse's heel, so that the rider tumbles backward. "(I long for your deliverance, O LORD!)
"Gad shall be raided by raiders, but he shall raid at their heels.
"Asher's produce is rich, and he shall furnish dainties for kings.
"Naphtali is a hind let loose which brings forth lovely fawns.
"Joseph is a wild colt ,a wild colt by a spring, a wild ass on a hillside. Harrying and attacking, the archers opposed him; But each one's bow remained stiff, as their arms were unsteady, By the power of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, The God of your father, who helps you, God Almighty, who blesses you, With the blessings of the heavens above, the blessings of the abyss that crouches below, The blessings of breasts and womb, the blessings of fresh grain and blossoms, The blessings of the everlasting mountains, the delights of the eternal hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; mornings he devours the prey, and evenings he distributes the spoils."
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said about them, as he bade them farewell and gave to each of them an appropriate message. Then he gave them this charge: "Since I am about to be taken to my kindred, bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan, the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial ground. There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there, too, I buried Leah - the field and the cave in it that had been purchased from the Hittites." When Jacob had finished giving these instructions to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was taken to his kindred.
What is Advent?
Advent is the time of preparation for Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ.
Advent is just over 4 weeks long, beginning four Sundays before Christmas and ending on Christmas Day, when the Christmas Season begins.
Advent is the beginning of the new liturgical year in the Catholic Church. The liturgical year follows the life of Christ so it would, naturally, start with the birth of Christ.
As a result, Advent is also the end of the period known as ordinary time (ordinal time) in the liturgical year. While ordinary time is spent focusing on the message of Jesus and preparing for His second coming, Advent is a time spent preparing for and celebrating the first coming of Christ 2000 years ago.
It is a time especially focused on Jesus Christ. It can be looked at as a sort of "spring cleaning," a time to prepare your mind, body, and soul to welcome the Lord of all Creation.
"I Desire Mercy not Sacrifice"
This dedication to renewal and improvement over the course of Advent is customarily viewed as a gift to be given to Jesus on His birthday, Christmas. This makes advent a time of great joy, celebrating and using the blessings you have been given.
In this way Advent is different from Lent, another period of preparation for a monumental period in history. During Lent we practice sacrifice and focus on repentance, whereas during Advent you focus more on practicing mercy and grace.
In doing so we give freely of the blessings we have been given in time, talent, and treasure! Rather than abstaining from a favorite food as a sacrifice, we might share that food with those in need because as we all know, Jesus said:
...Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me ~ Matthew 25:40
The Reason for the Season
Another popular practice that captures the spirit of both, spring cleaning and a birthday gift, is becoming a better Christian by dedicating time each day to prayer and reading the Bible. However you should know that success in this pursuit should be measured by the fruit it bears.
It should result in you reflecting the graces you have been given to your loved ones, freely granting the mercy you have been granted to those who wrong you, and being an example of Christ's sacrificial love to those around you.
If there is no impact on those around you, what good is it that you became better? As Jesus said:
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. ~ Matthew 5:14-16
The end goal of any endeavor in Advent is to put Jesus in your mind, in your heart, and on your lips. It is a time to recenter yourself on the only thing that matters.
This is slightly ironic as you could argue it is the hardest time of year to keep Jesus in focus...what with the gifts, the visits, the carols, and parties.
So prepare your heart, share your joys, enjoy the season, but always be sure you don't lose sight of the reason for the season.
Keep Pursuing
Additional Resources for Your Advent Season
Per usual, Bishop Robert Barron has some incredibly insightful things to say on Advent:
The moral life of Christians is sustained by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are permanent dispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit. ~ CCC 1830
Please note, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit should not be confused with the Fruits of the Holy Spirit.
[The Gifts of the Holy Spirit] belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations. (CCC 1831)
The Church gets the list of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit from the following Bible passage:
The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. ~ Isaiah 11:2-3
Here are some additional Bible verses that speak to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Now in regard to spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:1
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:7
To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:8-1
Please note, the Fruits of the Holy Spirit are not the same thing as the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Here is a great Bible verse that speaks to the Fruit of the Holy Spirit:
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ~ Galatians 5:19-23
The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. ~ CCC 1832
Here is a list of the 6 Holy Days of Obligation in the dioceses of the Unites States (in addition to Sundays):
The Solemnity of Mary
The Ascension of Christ
The Assumption of the Blessed Mother
All Saints' Day
The Immaculate Conception of Mary
Christmas
Keep Pursuing
Additional Resources
On Holy Days of Obligation, the faithful are required to attend mass.
The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass." "The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day." ~ CCC 2180
You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.
You shall keep holy the holy days of obligation.
You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.
And it is your duty to provide for the material needs of the Church, according to your abilities.
Keep Pursuing
Additional Resources
The Precepts of the Catholic Church are like a list of the bare minimum that is required of a practicing member of the Church. The Church describes them as:
"The precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life. the obligatory character of these positive laws decreed by the pastoral authorities is meant to guarantee to the faithful the indispensable minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor:" ~ CCC 2041
Again it must be emphasized that these represent the lowest rung, the absolute minimum that is required of all Catholics. I must admit I haven't always measured up these. It's pretty humbling. How do you measure up?
If you don't quite have it yet, make this your goal. It is a great starting place from which your spiritual life can begin to blossom.
From there, the next step is to ask yourself, if you truly love someone are you really going to be trying to "nickel and dime" them to get away with as little involvement as possible? NO! You will grow in love and want to do more. Keep pushing, keep growing, keep learning, and keep loving.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
Keep Pursuing
Additional Resources
The Beatitudes come directly from Jesus in Matthew 5:3-12. Jesus teaches the 8 Beatitudes as the beginning to the sermon on the mount.
The 8 Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus' preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham. The Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven.
The Catechism states that, "the Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity. They express the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of his Passion and Resurrection; they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured, however dimly, for Christ's disciples; they have begun in the lives of the Virgin Mary and all the saints." ~ CCC 1717
