The Importance of Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is a day of acts of worship for Christians. It occurs 46 days before the scheduled Easter Sunday. It is amongst the most well-known and significant religious holidays in the Christian calendar.

Many devotees take the remainder of the day off from work and stay at home. Ashes are a liturgical emblem of atonement that becomes sacramental by the Church's benediction, and therefore encourages us to cultivate an attitude of sorrow and commitment. It is not necessary to wear the ashes for the remainder of the day, and they'll be rinsed off after Holy mass Many individuals, nevertheless, preserve the ashes as a remembrance until nightfall.

So earlier today, my mom, little brother, and I went to Church to be part of the Holy Mass for Ash Wednesday. We went a bit late so we have to stand outside because even though there are available chairs on the side of the building, we want to see the priest and properly hear the prayer. One of the things that struck me the most during the Homily was the fact that Father was able to remind us that as Catholics, we must attend at least one of the two prayer gatherings as part of the celebration. It deeply went into my mind because most of the time, we don't get to visit the church because of family obligations. And it's one of the rudest excuses someone can say but things changed since the beginning of the pandemic. We promised ourselves to attend the mass once a week but since there are certain situations where people can't gather, we didn't fulfill that promise. And I was standing outside, the message reminded me that time with self is the same time with the Lord. Although not many people in God, we all have the same thinking that we have faith within us. Maybe faith in humanity or just in the world itself but at least, we don't disrespect other people's beliefs and mindsets.

Many people probably don't get the idea of why we have to "lessen" the process of eating, or what we call fasting. Like during this season, the religious people encourage everyone to cut off dinner out of the three meals. I didn't get it at first. And since it's part of the traditions and beliefs of my religion, I didn't even question it before nor became curious to the reason why. However, earlier, during the Holy Mass, Father said that it's because that particular meal that we decided to cut will be faithfully given to those in need. We are not living under the rock to know that the world is suffering from world hunger, not because we don't have enough food, but the expenses in food are not affordable to many. We all have to make a living so most people don't have a choice but to do inhuman things to survive.

Like I always say to myself, we have different shoes. So when we meet someone new, we can't judge them based on what they say but on how they think and respond to a situation. I have met many people who think the way they want and are not open to other people's opinions. It's like saying that someone is a thief, even if that person is not convicted or jailed under the court of law, but when other people say that to you, you become completely defensive about it. We can't rely on the internet alone. So when you go to Omegle or any social media platform where you get a random user to interact with, always be open-minded about things.

Another thing that I learned about life, which affected my way of thinking, is that we all have different opinions. Maybe yours is right and mine is wrong. However, don't ever go beyond the bush when arguing with someone. There is this thing called respect. It is something that is earned and not given just because you are considered older or a "high-profile" person. Or maybe respect those who respect you. I don't understand why people make excuses just to get away with something. You can get away with it a few times but not forever. That is why all sins must be forgiven but never forgotten, they must be remembered, so every time you make something that you think you have done before, you will know the impact of the consequence.

This season is given to people to have a reconciliation with God. So take some time to breathe and be as kind as you can be.