Someone once remarked, that Easter is never the right time, it’s either early or late this year! Easter does not have a fixed date, like Christmas. Easter is the center of the Church’s year, from the date of Easter all the other holy days revolve. In the Year 325AD, the Council of Nicea decreed that each year Easter Sunday will be the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. Got all that?!
So each year Easter changes, and thus the Ash Wednesday date changes. This year Ash Wednesday and Easter is very early. Easter will be March 31st, with Ash Wednesday, on February 14th (no Saint Valentine’s Day for this year). However, as early as it is this year, the earliest Ash Wednesday can be is February 4th with Easter being March 22nd. The last time that occurred was in 1818, and it won't happen again until 2285! That's a span of 467 years! The last possible date for Easter occurs on April 25th, which was in 1943 and won't fall on this date again until 2038.
So, as we say goodbye to “Alleluia” this Sunday until the Great Alleluia of Easter Vigil, we have three days to get ready for Lent.
The word Lent is German in origin; lencten originally meant the season of Spring, referring to the lengthening of days as reflected in the Saxon word for March Lenctenmonat. Lent is a distinct season of the Church’s year. It goes from Ash Wednesday to The Sacred Triduum; the Three Holydays of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday.
Lent is a time of faith-renewal. Fasting, almsgiving, and prayer are the three pillars of Lent, which are all grounded in the Sacred Scriptures. We are also called to a deepening of our praying, listening and studying of the Scriptures during Lent.
We begin Lent with the custom of placing ashes on our heads. The use of ashes is found in the Old Testament. As a form of humility and conversion, people would sit on a pile of ashes in sackcloth. Ashes, sackcloth and repentance go together. Yet despite the many references in Scripture, the use of ashes in the Church had a slow start. It wasn’t until the beginning of the 11th century, that it was customary for all the faithful to take part in a ceremony on the Wednesday before Lent that included the imposition of ashes. Near the end of that century, Pope Urban II called for the general use of ashes on that day. Only later did this day come to be called Ash Wednesday.
When we receive ashes on our foreheads, we remember who we are. We remember that we are creatures of the earth ("Remember that you are dust"). We remember that we are mortal beings ("and to dust you will return"). We remember that we are baptized. We remember that we are people on a journey of conversion ("Repent and believe in the gospel"). We remember to Whom we belong.
So starting this Wednesday, once again, we are invited by the Church to begin the ascent to a holy mountain. Our preparation for Easter should be seen as a journey. It will be an uphill struggle for some, climbing is not easy. But the goal is to meet where God’s glory and love is revealed: the mountaintop of Easter, where we can sing forever: Alleluia, Christ is truly Risen! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!!
DAYS OF ABSTINENCE AND FAST
During days of abstinence, Catholics age 14 and older do not eat the flesh of an animal. Ash Wednesday and every Friday in Lent are days of abstinence.
During days of fast (Ash Wednesday and Good Friday), Catholics aged 18-59 restrict their food intake to one full meal, two smaller meals, and no eating between meals.
So use the next three days, to examine our life, our heart, and our soul and to ask, from what do we need to repent?