CCM bulletin part 2 for week of Feb 24

Ash Wednesday Blessing

Merciful God,

You called us forth from the dust of the earth; you claimed us for Christ in the waters of Baptism.

Look upon us as we enter these Forty Days bearing the mark of ashes,

And bless our journey through the desert of Lent to the font of rebirth.

May our fasting be hunger for justice; our alms, a making of peace; our prayer, the chant of humble and grateful hearts.

All that we do and pray is in the name of Jesus, for in his Cross you proclaim your love forever and ever. Amen.

FAQ… What’s the difference between fasting and abstinence?

• What is fasting? In the Catholic tradition, in terms of food, it means limiting oneself to one moderate meal (usually at midday), plus two smaller meals that together don’t equal a full meal, and no snacking. Of course, you can fast from other things during Lent as well, like smoking, chocolate, or gossiping.
• When do we fast? In the current liturgical calendar, we only fast (in the traditional sense) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. “Back in the day” (before Vatican II), however, we fasted for the entire season of Lent (except Sundays, of course) (and you only got one meal a day, and not meat or eggs or dairy products!). We also fasted on Fridays in Advent, and a variety of other days, including “Ember Days,” four weeks throughout the year in which fasting was observed on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Individuals can fast any additional times they believe it spiritually appropriate.
• Why do we fast? According to the Church, on Ash Wednesday we fast in penance for our sins, and on Good Friday, to observe the suffering of Jesus crucified. The Church also regards fasting as a way to control bodily desires, and a way to be in solidarity with the poor. Other reasons to fast are to increase our awareness of our body and its cravings, to learn what controls us, to practice self-discipline, to focus ourselves on a specific prayer intention, and to prepare ourselves for the Feast of the Lamb, the heavenly banquet. Ultimately, as with all spiritual discipline, it’s all about focusing our attention more closely on God.
• Why shouldn’t we fast? To punish ourselves. To lose weight. Because it’s harming our health (fasting taken to the extreme, or fasting when we’re sick). Because we’re supposed to be celebrating (on Sundays, for example, we never fast, because we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, which is a happy thing).

• What’s abstinence? This means not eating meat.
• When do we abstain? Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent.
• Why do we abstain, and why from meat? Because it’s a partial fast? (Sorry, can’t find a more specific reason). It was observed differently in different places, but was standardized pretty early on (5^th century I think) as refraining from meat.
• Why Fridays? It’s been a day of fasting, abstinence and penance from the earliest days of the church, to commemorate the death of Jesus on the cross.

FAQ… What are the Lenten disciplines?

Traditionally we talk about the three disciplines of Lent: fasting, almsgiving and prayer. Why? The gospel reading for Ash Wednesday draws from the portion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount where he teaches about…fasting, almsgiving and prayer. Lent is a time of preparation, a time to break down walls and strip away bad habits, a time to re-focus ourselves and re-turn ourselves towards God, so that when we arrive at Easter, we can reclaim our baptism and sing alleluia with all our heart. So what do these Lenten disciplines mean, and how can they be meaningful for us today?

Fasting:
Currently in the Catholic Church we have only two formal fast days, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On these days, we limit ourselves to one proper meal, two small meals and no snacking. We also abstain from meat on those two days, and on all the Fridays of Lent. We fast for different reasons: as a form of penance; to develop self-control and self-discipline; to be in solidarity with those who are hungry and suffering; to better understand what controls us and what we’re ‘addicted’ to; to become more perfect.

We traditionally also “give up” something for Lent. It’s the rare Catholic who didn’t give up chocolate as a kid! But when choosing what to give up, you should ask yourself why you’re choosing what you choose. Are you giving up chocolate just because it’s what you’ve always done? Because it makes you suffer? Or are you giving it up because you’re addicted to it? Perhaps you could give up a bad habit that’s potentially destructive human relationships, like gossiping. Or maybe give up sleeping late, and use some of that time for regular prayer. Maybe you could fast from texting, and push yourself to spend more face-to-face time with your friends, or even write a letter to someone who’s too far away to join you on a coffee date. Or maybe you give up fast food and focus on eating locally grown food instead.

Your fasting is never just for yourself—it should always be outward directed, toward your neighbor or toward God. What is it that keeps you from being a good friend? What is it that keeps you distant from God? What is it that contributes to the on-going suffering in the world? What prevents you from being a good steward of creation?

Almsgiving:
Alms traditionally consist of monetary donations, but they can also include giving your time and your talent and your focused attention. Maybe you can schedule yourself to do a little extra service work during Lent. Or write your Great-Aunt Matilda a letter, or visit someone in the Pines. I once read about a first-grader who gave up ice cream, and then donated that money to a fund in her school cafeteria that will allow kids who can’t afford to buy ice cream enjoy the treat.

The key here is that your giving doesn’t come out of what’s left-over. Like the poor widow in the gospel, our giving comes from all that we start with (money, time, talent)—not what’s left after we’ve spent it all on other more necessary or pleasurable things.

Prayer:
Prayer ultimately is about being in mutual communication with God. You take your concerns, your thanksgivings, your sorrows, your joys to God—and you sit back in silence so that God’s concerns, sorrows, joys, and thanksgivings can fill you. Making time and embracing silence are difficult to do. That’s why prayer is a discipline. There are a multitude of opportunities on campus to help you with this, from Mass to walking the labyrinth to Taize services to bible studies to Thursday Night Worship to walking (iPod-free) on the cross-country trails.

___________________

Karen Soos
Associate Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister
Davidson College
Campus Box 7196
Davidson NC 28035
704. 894. 2423