Ash Wednesday/Lent Fasting

• Ash Wednesday "remember you are dust and to dust you shall return"

• "Repent and Believe in the Gospel"

  Both of these are things the priests, deadons, and distributing assistants, say as they distributes ashes to the heads of millions of Catholics around the world.

  Non Catholics might look at us confused why we have an ash cross on our heads, are you able to explain it to them?

  
  

• It is out of humility and rememberance that we are dust and to dust we shall returnn and to remember especially during this time of Lent but also to always remember to repent of our sins and believe in the gospel because we are sinners trying to grow closer to God.

• Wear your ashes without worrying what others think. Be glad you have that remi

  nder that you are God's.

• We are called to remember that we aren't living for this earth. The ashes we recieve on our forehead remind us and show others that we are

• Lent is a time of preparation for Easter. A time of Prayer,fasting, and almsgiving.

• The cross on our foreheads symbolizes our own crosses that we must take up in this life.

• I read online recently about how "The ashes, made from last year's Palm Sunday palms, signify human mortality, sinfulness, and the need for repentance, reminding people they are dust."

• We must take this time of Lent especially Ash wednesday to remember we are not called to be people of this world but we are made in the image of God and are called to focus on eyes and our hearts on the cross. Focusing on getting ourselves and others to our home in Heaven.

•Lent fasting

How much do you give up

Do u complain about it find ways around it

Feast on a giant crab dinner in lent because you can’t have meat ? (crab dinner isn't bad but the point is you can go out to eat a big meal but try to make at least some small sacrifice for Jesus in your day)

How much did Jesus suffer for you? Did He complain and find ways around it? Or did He smile happily lovingly dying for your sins.

That’s why I personally hate when Protestants say "can’t you just watch church online? NO! Jesus died, was beaten and suffered for us it’s the least I can do is spend time with Him and receive Him in the Eucharist. If they only knew He is really there! They are waiting for His second coming but don’t realize He is present right here in the Eucharist trying to come be in our lives if you’ll let Him!

Jesus did so much for you. Do you do the least you can do for Him or the most you can do for Him?

A young kid told a priest one time "I gave up green beans because they're yucky!" It isn't really a sacrifice if it's giving up something we don't like or something we don't care that much about. I recommend giving up something that takes up too much of your time maybe give up spending multiple hours on your phone scrolling through endless posts of cute puppy memes. Cute puppy memes are amazing, but if they take up more of your time then your prayer life, or scrolling online and focusing on celebrities lives instead of your own life. Maybe just make time for Jesus first then later look and see what the insta puppies are up to.

This Lent Imagine Jesus is sitting there next to you waiting His turn for Time with You. Are you going to keep Him waiting...?

Maybe making more time to spend in prayer with Him, giving up a favorite food or drink or tv show, and instead of replacing it without another dessert,beverage,show,or whatever else, maybe give more of your time to spend with Jesus this Lent. Listen to Him. Pray, ask for help for family or yourself,or whatever your intentions may be, and thank Him, but also just sit in silence and be present with Him, more adoration time adoring Him in the Blessed Eucharist. You can give up stuff, but you could also replace that time with things that you do, prayer time is great, maybe another idea could be knowledge growing in knowlege of the faith by studying the Bible, or the Catechism of the Catholic faith so if anyone of your prodastant friends has a question for you, you know how to answer them, you also will find answers to things you have been searching for. I've found that Jesus answers prayers in many different ways depending on the situation/person/etc. For me I'll pray about something then I'll be listening to the message channel and hear the exact answer in a song just when He knew I needed to hear it, also God answers prayer through books,mass,friends,family,and more. A family member may come up to you and give you advice about something that was exactly what you needed to get through the situation. Maybe God made them aware that you needed them at that moment or He just made sure they were there for you when you needed them. Maybe you have been that for someone too. Mayve He used you to help make someone's day by opening the door for someone, helping an old woman get a grocery item from the top shelf,etc. One way God answers prayers through scripture and mass is if you've been praying about something and then suddenly you open the Bible and start reading and get hope that it will be okay, or the priest brings up a similar situation or lesson during His sermon to something you've been struggling with. That's happened for me for sure. I'll pray about something then that Sunday there's the priest teaching that exact lesson. God cann even use people you don't particuarilly get along with to teach lessons and speak to you and get closer to you. Maybe this Lent you can spend more time in prayer with Jesus, or more time doing chairity, little deeds like praying for someone or annonomysously donating to a good cause, helping buy a homeless man a meal, volenteering to help animals, etc... How are you going to spend lent this year so that when Jesus rises on Easter Day you can say you grew closer to Him and was changed in some way for the better?

Remember that it could be doing something small "for the least of His people", helping someone out sacrificing your "you" time for someone that maybe you don’t get along with and not judging them, how about just spending more time in prayer with Jesus instead of watching a show, read the Bible or a book on the lives of the saints instead of browsing the internet for a new pair of shoes, yes I know, I do it too much too! We can do that later, Let's Put Jesus First!

Keep in mind that the things that I say in these articles, I’m also saying to myself as well. We’re all foolish sinners trying to become Saints! I get distracted but I love Jesus so I want to keep trying. How about you?

BIBLE QUOTE

“Father forgive them for they know not what they do”