What is Lent ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CS_FD_RDU8
Why ashes on Ash Wednesday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyPq6ISk1nw
The imposition of ashes is a solemn ritual that signals the beginning of the holy season of Lent. The ceremony is distinctive; there is no liturgical action like it throughout the entire church year.
The ashes come from a previous Palm Sunday. The palms are burned, the ashes collected and then crushed into a fine, sooty powder and placed into bowls.
The ashes are blessed by the priest during the Ash Wednesday Mass after the homily. Then, in a Communion-like procession, people are invited to come forward, and the ashes are applied to each person’s forehead in the shape of a cross as the minister says either, “Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15), the usual prayer, or “Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19), the older, more traditional invocation.
Ashes symbolize two main things in the Old Testament.
Death, repentance
Ashes are equivalent to dust, and human flesh is composed of dust or clay (Genesis 2:7), and when a human corpse decomposes, it returns to dust or ash.
For example, Abraham told God, “I am but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27), a reference to his human mortality. Jeremiah described death as a “valley of corpses and ashes” (Jeremiah 31:40). Ashes are an ominous sign, and we use them on Ash Wednesday to remind ourselves of our own impending deaths. Death may come sooner, or it may come later, but it will surely come.
And if death is coming, we need to be prepared, and the time to prepare for death is now, and the way to prepare is to live according to God’s ways.
When the prophet Daniel shamefacedly clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes, they were a sign of his people’s contrition for their rebellion, wickedness and treachery (Daniel 9:3).
When Jonah warned the Ninevites that God planned to destroy their city because of their corruption and depravity, the people covered themselves with sackcloth and ashes as a sign of their intention to turn from their evil ways (Jonah 3:6,10).
Ashes are a plea to God for mercy and compassion, pardon and forgiveness.
Moreover, they are a public admission of guilt, an expression of sorrow for sins that have been committed, a promise to reform and a pledge to resist temptation in the future.
We, too, are sinners. When we come forward to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, we are saying that we are sorry for our sins, and that we want to use the season of Lent to correct our faults, purify our hearts, control our desires and grow in holiness so we will be prepared to celebrate Easter with great joy.
http://thecatholicspirit.com/holy-days/lent/why-do-we-receive-ashes-on-ash-wednesday-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-do-we-receive-ashes-on-ash-wednesday-2
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Pope's three actions to practice during Lent: Pause, See and Return - Published on Feb 14, 2018
Omelija tal-Arcisqof Charles J. Scicluna f'Ras ir-Randan - Published on 15 Feb 2018
Omelia di Papa Francesco nella Messa delle Ceneri - Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino - Published on 1 Mar 2017
L-Erbgħa tal-Irmied
Qari I
Ċarrtu qalbkom, u mhux ilbieskom
Ġoel 2, 12-18
Ġoel 2, 12-18
Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Ġoel
Dan jgħid il-Mulej:
“Erġgħu
duru lejja bi qlubkom kollha,
bis-sawm, bil-biki u bl-ilfiq.
Ċarrtu qalbkom, u mhux ilbieskom,
u erġgħu duru lejn il-Mulej, Alla tagħkom,
għax hu twajjeb u ħanin,
tqil biex jinkorla, u kollu tieba;
u jisgħobbih għall-ħażen”.
Min jaf jerġax jibdielu u jisgħobbih,
u jħalli barka wrajh,
offerta tal-ikel u tax-xorb lill-Mulej, Alla tagħkom?
Doqqu t-tromba f’Sijon!
Ordnaw sawma, sejħu laqgħa mqaddsa;
iġbru l-poplu,
qaddsu l-ġemgħa
għajtu x-xjuħ,
iġbru t-tfal, u t-trabi tal-ħalib!
Ħa joħroġ l-għarus minn ġo kamartu
u l-għarusa mill-kmajra tagħha!
Bejn il-portiku u bejn l-altar ħa jibku
l-qassisin, qaddejja tal-Mulej!
U ħa jgħidu: “Ħenn għall-poplu tiegħek, Mulej,
u la tħallix il-wirt tiegħek jaqa’ għaż-żebliħ,
u jiġi fi lsien il-ġnus!”
L-għala għandu jingħad fost il-popli:
“Fejn hu Alla tagħhom?”
U l-Mulej ġietu għejra għall-art tiegħu,
għader il-poplu tiegħu.
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
R/. Irroddu ħajr lil Alla
Salm Responsorjali
Salm 50 (51), 3-4.5-6a.12-13.14 u 17
R/. (ara 3a): O Alla, ħenn għalina għax dnibna!
Ikollok ħniena minni, o Alla, fi tjubitek;
fil-kobor tal-ħniena tiegħek ħassar ħtijieti.
Aħsilni kollni mill-ħtija tiegħi;
naddafni mid-dnub tiegħi. R/.
Għax jien nagħrafhom ħtijieti;
id-dnub tiegħi dejjem quddiemi.
Kontrik biss jiena dnibt,
u dak li hu ħażin f’għajnejk għamilt. R/.
Oħloq fija qalb safja, o Alla,
u spirtu qawwi ġedded fija.
La twarrabnix minn quddiemek;
tneħħix minni l-ispirtu qaddis tiegħek. R/.
Roddli l-hena tas-salvazzjoni tiegħek,
u bi spirtu qalbieni wettaqni.
Iftaħli xufftejja, Sidi,
u fommi jxandar it-tifħir tiegħek. R/.
Qari II
Ħallu lil Alla jħabbibkom miegħu. Araw, issa hu ż-żmien tajjeb.
2 Kor 5, 20 – 6, 2
Qari mit-Tieni Ittra ta’ San Pawl Apostlu lill-Korintin
Ħuti, aħna nagħmluha ta’ ambaxxaturi ta’ Kristu bħallikieku Alla stess
qiegħed isejjaħ permezz tagħna. Nitolbu fuq li nitolbu f’ġieħ Kristu: Ħallu lil
Alla jħabbibkom miegħu. Dak li ma kienx jaf x’inhu dnub, Alla għamlu dnub
għalina sabiex aħna nsiru fih ġustizzja ta’ Alla. Ladarba qegħdin naħdmu
flimkien ma’ Alla, aħna mela nħeġġukom biex ma tirċevux il-grazzja tiegħu għal
xejn. Għax hu jgħid:
“Fiż-żmien it-tajjeb smajtek,
f’jum is-salvazzjoni għentek”.
Araw, issa hu ż-żmien tajjeb;
araw, issa hu jum is-salvazzjoni!
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
R/. Irroddu ħajr lil Alla
Akklamazzjoni qabel l-Evanġelju ara Salm 94 (95), 8ab
Glorja u tifħir lilek, Kristu!
Illum la twebbsux qalbkom iżda isimgħu leħen il-Mulej!
R/. Glorja u tifħir lilek, Kristu!
EVANĠELJU
Missierek, li jara dak li hu moħbi, iroddlok hu.
Mt 6, 1-6.16-18
Qari mill-Evanġelju skont San Mattew
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: [Mt 6:1] “Qisu li l-għemil tajjeb tagħkom ma tagħmluhx għal wiċċ in-nies biex tidhru quddiemhom, għax inkella ma jkollkomx ħlas mingħand Missierkom li hu fis-smewwiet.
[Mt 6:2] Mela meta tagħmel karità, tmurx iddoqq it-trombi quddiemek, kif jagħmlu dawk ta’ wiċċ b’ieħor fis-sinagogi u fit-triqat, biex in-nies tfaħħarhom. Tassew, ngħidilkom, li l-ħlas tagħhom ġa ħaduh. [Mt 6:3] Iżda int, meta tagħmel karità, idek ix-xellugija m’għandhiex tkun taf x’inhi tagħmel il-leminija, [Mt 6:4] biex hekk il-karità tiegħek issir fil-moħbi, u Missierek, li jara dak li hu moħbi, iroddlok hu.
[Mt 6:5] U meta titolbu, tkunux bħal dawk ta’ wiċċ b’ieħor, għax dawk iħobbu joqogħdu jitolbu bilwieqfa fis-sinagogi u f’salib it-toroq, biex jidhru quddiem in-nies. Tassew, ngħidilkom, li l-ħlas tagħhom ġa ħaduh. [Mt 6:6] Iżda int, meta titlob, idħol fil-kamra tiegħek ta’ ġewwa, agħlaq il-bieb warajk, u itlob lil Missierek li hu fil-moħbi; u Missierek, li jara dak li hu fil-moħbi, iroddlok hu.
[Mt 6:16] Meta ssumu, tqarrsux wiċċkom, bħalma jagħmlu dawk ta’ wiċċ b’ieħor, għax dawn ikerrhu wiċċhom biex quddiem in-nies jidhru li huma sajmin. Tassew, ngħidilkom, li l-ħlas tagħhom ġa ħaduh. [Mt 6:17] Iżda int, meta tkun sajjem, idlek xagħrek u aħsel wiċċek, [Mt 6:18] biex mhux quddiem in-nies tidher li tkun sajjem, imma quddiem Missierek li hu fil-moħbi; u Missierek, li jara dak li hu fil-moħbi, iroddlok hu”.
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
R/. Tifħir lilek Kristu
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Kyrios L-Erbgħa tal-Irmied Fr Mark Sultana - Published on 3 Feb 2016
Kyrios Introduzzjoni għar-Randan: Fr Stefan Attard - Published on 4 Feb 2016
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