Mardi Gras. The day before Ash Wednesday. Which begins Lent.
Today is like a winter Halloween, in a way. A day preceding something special. I've grown to view both Mardi Gras and Halloween as celebrations of darkness, both fleshly and spiritual. Thankfully, I will not participate. Not through any power of mine, mind you, but because God, thankfully, keeps this part of me in check. As I have gotten older, I look at both as man's continual raging against the holy, and God himself.
In their pre-Lent letter to our congregation, our pastors put this in front of us.
"Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, 'Who is it you want?'" (John 18:4)
"And you? Who will you want- and seek- these coming Wednesdays and Sundays of Lent? Will the world and your flesh argue their priorities? Or...Him who gave His body and shed His blood for you?"
And you?
Because lent is not a focal point of the churches in which I was raised, I never really gave Fat Tuesday much thought until the last few years. You are absolutely right in that it is like a mid-winter Halloween. An excellent description!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comments, and blessings to you. Lent is traditionally a time of repentance, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The idea being not to focus on oneself, as is so often the case, but to cause one to reflect more on Christ, the Lord. I know it is something we should always do, but I don't, and I daresay no one can.
ReplyDeleteYet I believe some degree of self denial does help me in my focus. So that is why I do this, not for any personal piety or reward. I know it sounds weird, but when I remember to fast during this time, it gives me pause to reflect on Christ's mission, passion, death, and resurrection.
I never really gave Fat Tuesday much thought until the last few years. You are absolutely right in that it is like a mid-winter Halloween. An excellent description!
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