Will you be giving anything up for Lent this year?

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust! Will you be giving anything up for Lent this year?

Ash Wednesday is inextricably linked to Easter. After all, it marks the beginning of the Lent penance period that ends on Holy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. In churches during Lent, the colour purple is prominent, symbolizing mourning and penance and churches may remove decorations and choose more solemn hymns, to reflect Lent’s somber tone.

What is the purpose of Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday celebrates the first day of Lent. According to the Gospels, Jesus spent 40 days wandering the desert and fasting.

The type of fast - which Jesus himself endorsed - can be found in Matthew 6:16-18: “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

On Ash Wednesday, the Catholic faithful commence a period of 40 days of fasting (excluding Sundays) – eating only one large meal or two small meals. Those meals must not contain any meat. In fact, Catholics over the age of 14 should refrain from eating meat on every Friday from Ash Wednesday through to Good Friday.

In accordance with the principles of Lent, many Catholics choose to give something up or change an ingrained habit during the 40-day-period. Pope Francis has also encouraged us to give more time “to the soothing remedy of prayer” and charity before the celebration of Easter.

Ash Wednesday - what do the ashes mean?

The ashes, applied in the shape of a cross, are a symbol of penance, mourning and mortality. It is symbolic of the Bible verse Genesis 3:16, which reads: “For you were made from dust, and to dust, you shall return.”

The ashes are usually made by burning palm branches distributed on the Palm Sunday of the previous year, and placing them on the heads of participants while reminding them of the Genesis verse.

Centuries ago, participants used to sprinkle themselves with ashes and repent much more publicly, but the practice fell away sometime between the 8th-10th century before evolving into what it is today.  There aren’t any particular rules about how long the ashes should be worn but most people wear them throughout the day as a public expression of their faith and penance.

Lent’s place in the 21st century?

In today’s fast-paced world, there are many things that demand priority in our lives. Lent is for anybody that wants to engage in the process of self-examination and realigning of priorities.

Father Paul Bourke from the Diocese of Port Pirie in South Australia said the ways in which Catholics observed how Lent has changed over the generations.

"I think people are more relational these days; perhaps they were more functional once, they would give up lollies, give up chocolates," he said.

"But I think prayer, relationships, that has certainly evolved and our society has evolved as well."

Father Bourke said Lent was a time to think about others.

"It is estimated that 55% of the people in the world live on a handful of rice a day," he said.

"We don't want to know that because we live in such a comfortable country, but I think Lent is a chance to focus on things like that and realize that we are blessed and called to share our goodness."

This year, Ash Wednesday coincides with Valentine’s day and falls on 14 February.

Will you be giving anything up for Lent this year?

Will fasting be lifted for Valentine's Day, which falls on Ash Wednesday?

It happens occasionally that Valentine’s Day falls within the season of Lent, but this year the holiday of love falls on Ash Wednesday. This leads to questions being raised about the need for fasting.

It has been 73 years since Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday have coincided, the last year being 1945. Expect it to happen again in 2024 and 2029.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity, and for Roman Catholics, it is a day of fasting and abstinence to begin the penitential season of 40 days to prepare for the celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead as Christians believe.

In addition to greeting cards, flowers and jewelry, Valentine’s Day also includes heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and dinners at home or in restaurants. That’s where the conflict of fasting/abstinence and celebrating with food and treats comes in.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops explains that Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence from meat.

And the bishop of Allentown, the Most Rev. Alfred A. Schlert, said the diocese “didn’t feel that it was appropriate to lift the rule” of fasting and abstinence for local Catholics on Valentine’s Day.

For members of the Latin (Roman) Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from ages 18 to 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onward. Medical conditions, such as diabetes, can be exceptions to the fasting rules.

Members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are to observe the particular law of their own sui iuris (“of one’s own right”) church. The beginning of the Great Fast (Lent) for Eastern Christians does not begin with Ash Wednesday, which is not observed, but two days earlier on what is called Pure or Clean Monday.

Will the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown grant a dispensation from the fasting and/or abstinence on Ash Wednesday, such as when the feast of St. Patrick falls on a Friday in Lent? The St. Patrick dispensation to allow the eating of meat on Friday has been granted in the past, but a dispensation on Ash Wednesday for Valentine’s Day will not occur, according to the Schlert.

“The last time it happened was in 1945 when Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day coincided,” Schlert said during a recent visit to Nativity BVM High School, Pottsville. “Now, it will happen some more times more frequently in the near future. It won’t be as long apart the next two times.”

In the last 10 years, Valentine’s Day has occurred in Lent three times: 2008, 2013 and 2016, and it will happen two times in the next 10 years, both times on Ash Wednesday as noted above.

“We have in the past, like when St. Patrick’s Day is on a Friday in Lent, we have lifted the requirement to not eat meat,” Schlert said. “Now just to be clear, whenever we have lifted it as we have in some years, that does not mean you don’t have to do penance. It means you can pick another day to do penance.”

On the former General Roman Calendar, the feast of St. Valentine was observed on Feb. 14. However, the calendar was revised in 1969, with St. Valentine’s feast day removed. Feb. 14 is now observed as the feast day of SS. Cyril and Methodius, who are the “Apostles of the Slavs” and the patron saints of all Europe.

While SS. Cyril and Methodius have detailed histories, St. Valentine’s history has little information, but there are stories that indicate there were three Valentines, all martyrs. The one originally celebrated is named St. Valentine (Valentinus) of Rome, a priest who was arrested for marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians being persecuted. Both were serious crimes and he was beheaded by Emperor Claudius II in the third century. Even though the feast day was removed from the calendar, the three Valentines remain saints.

Schlert said, “There are only two days in the universal law of the Church, the Code of Canon Law, that are days of fasting and abstinence (Ash Wednesday and Good Friday). We didn’t feel that it was appropriate to lift the rule.”

There are other days that the traditions of Valentine’s Day can be observed, Schlert said.

“Quite honestly, the day before is Mardi Gras, so there can always be some festivities on Mardi Gras,” Schlert said. “Also, Valentine’s Day is midweek, so many couples go out on the weekend before or the weekend after Valentine’s Day anyway, so Saturday night would offer them a good opportunity to celebrate.”

And even if Valentine’s Day is on Ash Wednesday, it doesn’t mean that signs of love and affection can be expressed, Schlert said.

“It should still be a day about love, and that doesn’t take it away just because of not having meat or chocolates or things like that,” he said.

Some dioceses and archdioceses in the country have issued statements about not giving the dispensation, with those without statements issued by their bishops assumed to also keep the fasting and abstinence practices.

The neighboring Diocese of Harrisburg released a statement from the Most Rev. Ronald W. Gainer, bishop and Pottsville native, regarding the Ash Wednesday obligations of fast and abstinence and its coincidence with Valentine’s Day this year.

“This year Ash Wednesday coincides with Valentine’s Day, a largely secular celebration, particularly in the United States,” Gainer said “There have been inquiries if a dispensation from the obligations to fast and abstain from meat will be given. As Catholics, we recognize Ash Wednesday as the solemn beginning of a period of prayer, penance and works of charity. Its spiritual importance is evidenced by the large number of faithful choosing to attend Mass on this day. In view of the significance of Ash Wednesday, the obligations of fast and abstinence are naturally the priority in the Catholic community. Valentine’s Day can appropriately be celebrated on another day, such as Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which happens to be Mardi Gras, a time of celebration prior to the Lenten journey.”

Nigeria: ‘Strange snake’ swallows N36 million cash in JAMB office

A mystery snake is said to have sneaked into the accounts office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, in Makurdi, the Benue State capital and made away with N36 million cash.

Before now, JAMB candidates purchased scratch cards from JAMB state offices and other designated centers, to gain access to the Board’s website for either registration or to check their admission status but the reforms introduced by JAMB registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, recommended an end to the use of scratch cards.

A team of auditors was dispatched to different state offices of JAMB to take inventory of the sold and unsold scratch cards and recover whatever money that might have either been generated or mismanaged during the period of the sale of scratch cards.

On their visit to Makurdi office of JAMB, a sales clerk, Philomina Chieshe, told JAMB registrar and his team that she could not account for N36 million she made in previous years before the abolition of scratch cards.

In the course of interrogation, Philomena confessed that it was her housemaid that connived with another JAMB staff, Joan Asen, to “spiritually” steal the money from the vault in the accounts office.

She said: “I was one of the four sales clerks attached to JAMB office in Makurdi. My responsibility was to sell scratch cards to candidates and not involved in handling the revenues. It was the responsibility of Joan Asen and my other senior colleagues. I only remit money when am done selling the cards.

“Few months ago, there was issue of fraud in the Makurdi office. Auditors were sent from Abuja to carefully flip the record books of the office, to perhaps, ascertain the current state of affairs.

“The state Coordinator, Obilo, was not around when the audit team came. But in the course of the audit, N36 million was discovered to have been missing from the account. An investigation was launched. In the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Joan Asen, who is account staff and a lady outside JAMB have connived to steal the money.”

Philomina in her confessional statement said that Joan Asen and her accomplices confessed that they have been stealing the money “spiritually” through a mysterious snake that always sneak into the office to swallow the money from the vault.

According to her “It was a mystery to me too. I have been saving the money in the bank, but I found it difficult to account for it. So I started saving it in a vault in the office. But each time I open the vault, I will find nothing. I became worried and surprised how the millions of Naira could be disappearing from the vault. I began to interrogate everybody in the house and office, and no one could agree on what might have happened to the money. I continued to press until my housemaid confessed. She said that the money disappeared “spiritually”. She said that a “mysterious snake” sneaked into the house and swallowed the money in the vault.”