Catholics observe Ash Wednesday

Catholic Bishop David Kamau applies ash on the forehead of Catholic faithful at the Holy Family Minor Basilica in Nairobi Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. [PHOTO: FIDELIS KABUNYI/STANDARD]

NAIROBI: Catholic faithfuls across the world marked the beginning of the Lent today. This was marked with the celebration of Ash Wednesday and will see them observe lent for 40 days ahead of the Easter celebrations.

During lent, Catholics are expected to be committed in prayer, fasting and helping the needy in society. They are also supposed to cease from excesses until Easter Sunday.

As a way of expressing sorrow, the palms that were distributed during the previous year’s Palm Sunday are usually burnt and the ash used during the occasion. Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express mourning.

Easter Sunday is commemorated as the day Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead after being crucified on Good Friday. Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of faithful as a sign of repentance.

Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent’s way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults

In Nairobi’s Holy Family Minor Basilica, Bishop David Kamau called upon the congregation to be committed during the Lent season, saying one way to enter into the season is by following the traditional practice of the church which is: prayer, fasting and alms giving.

SEASON OF GRACE

“Lent is a season of reflection, re-evaluation, repentance and reconciliation. It is a time of profound grace and we are invited to let that grace sink in, take root and change us. Alms giving is more than just giving away money but also giving of our time through serving the needs of those around us. This is a practice which encourages us to let go of things (money, possessions, and our valuable time) which may have taken on too high a priority in our lives,” Bishop Kamau said.

The Bishop who was delivering a sermon from the Gospel of Matthew 6:1-6. 16-18, in the morning mass said prayer is a practice in the church, and through prayer, the faithful are able to experience Lent at a spiritual level.

“Prayer slows us down, allows us to be focused, and enables us to be stripped away from our obsession with this world and moves us to a higher consciousness,” the Bishop preached. The theme of this year’s Lenten Campaign is “Building our Family and Nation with Dignity.”