Tag Archives: Ash Wednesday

Wednesday, February 14, 2018 – Friends, Romans, Kneelers Lent Me Your Ears.

Posted on February 14, 2018 | Leave a comment

Wednesday, February 14, 2018 – Friends, Romans, Kneelers Lent Me Your Ears.

Today is Ash Wednesday marking the first day of the season of Lent. What does it mean? I am so glad you ashed.

Lent (Latin: Quadragesima: Fortieth) is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for Easter through prayer, doing penance, mortifying the flesh, repentance of sins, almsgiving, and self-denial. This event is observed in the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, and Catholic Churches.

Some Anabaptist and evangelical churches also observe the Lenten season. Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the tradition and events of the New Testament beginning on Palm Sunday, further climaxing on Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday, which ultimately culminates in the joyful celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Many mark this day by receiving ashes in the form of the cross on their forehead from a priest or minister. Believers make a commitment to sacrifice and avoid the “lead us not into temptation” thing. Some give up something such as smoking, drinking, gum, or candy. Others, like me, try to do something positive to make a difference.

In fact, Here’s What I’m Thinking was started as a Lenten commitment about five years ago. The purpose was to make someone laugh and/or think on a daily basis.

During Lent, I do not eat meat on Fridays. This is much harder than you think. Think Bubba Gump shrimp each and every Friday. I usually blow it toward the end of the season when a cheeseburger inadvertently goes into my mouth. WE shall see this year.

Today is also St. Valentine’s Day.

Here’s wishing you, peace, love and Sam Cooke.

https://youtu.be/S28tILqie1o

Wednesday, March 1, 2017 – Let Me Ash You Something – Do You Observe Lent?

Posted on March 2, 2017 | 1 comment

Wednesday, March 1, 2017 – Let Me Ash You Something – Do You Observe Lent?

If you answered with “the dryer lint?” then that is incorrect. So Lenten up.

Today is Ash Wednesday. If your faith is in one of those descended from the kneelers – Catholic, Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist – to name a few, then the observance of Lent is part of your upbringing. For observers it marks the beginning of the days leading to Easter Sunday. It is a time of reflection and prayer when observers remember the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness prior to His entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

It is called Ash Wednesday because at religious services one receives ashes on their forehead in the shape of a cross. It calls attention to one’s mortality. We are all just a bunch of God’s dust bunnies running around until He says “Come Home.”

The ashes actually come from burning the fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. They do not come from the nuns and priests staying up all night smoking cigars and playing poker as my Louisiana relatives used to tell me.

It is a period of time when one sacrifices something they enjoy in an effort to make the world a better place. One may also choose to do something they have not done before. It is about the commitment to be a better person.

Ash Wednesday 2014 my Lenten commitment was to start this blog – Here’s What I’m Thinking. In spite of the entries you might read, it began as and continues to be a spiritual endeavor. I committed to write something each day of the week to try to make at least one person laugh and/or think.

Palo Duro Canyon Trip 4.15 2015-04-19 050 (800x600)

Palo Duro Canyon 2015 – Photo by me.

Since that time my Lenten commitment is always to recommit to HWIT with the caveat to get better and get more followers. In addition this year I am giving up some time in my day. I was going to give up being sarcastic and to stop cussing, but that would only make me a damn mute.

Instead I decided to say the Rosary once a day. I wonder where my beads are? Tony, Tony, please come round. – Catholic thing.

Here’s what I’m thinking – If Jesus can spend 40 days in the wilderness with no TV, no Pandora, no Internet, no Facebook, no Twitter, – just Him and Devil at every corner, then you can sacrifice or do something for 40 days.

What are you waiting for?

Grand Canyon – 2008 – Photo by me.

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Posted in humor, Misc., Native Texan

Tagged Ash Wednesday, Easter, Lent, religion

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 – Holy Crap! Is it Ash Wednesday? PUSH-UPS AND PRAYERS.

Posted on February 22, 2017 | 1 comment

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 – Holy Crap! Is it Ash Wednesday? PUSH-UPS AND PRAYERS.

Holy Crap! Is it Ash Wednesday? I have already had a sausage, egg and cheese breakfast taco!

EXCUSE ME!

Cloud Formation. June 2016. Photo by me.

Sorry, God.

YOU KNOW THERE ARE NO SAINTS NAMED CRAP. SO ONE CANNOT SAY “HOLY CRAP!” ASH WEDNESDAY IS NEXT WEDNESDAY MARCH 1. NOW, DROP AND GIVE ME 15.

Kneel and fifteen Hail Mary’s?

FIFTEEN PUSH UPS WHILE SAYING A HAIL MARY. I AM CALLING IT MY NEW FITNESS PRAYER ROUTINE. SPIRITUALITY AND FITNESS ALL IN ONE.

I AM CALLING IT “ PUSH-UPS AND PRAYERS.” ONE PUSH-UP PER HAIL MARY. LET’S GO!

Okay, but just know that when I get to push up number 14 and say “Pray for us sinners in the hour of our death” it just might be in the hour.

Where are You going, God?

NOWHERE. BUT IT’S NATIONAL MARGARITA DAY! JOIN ME WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR PUSH-UPS AND PRAYERS.

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Posted in humor, Misc., Native Texan

Tagged Ash Wednesday

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 – Fat Tuesday

Posted on February 9, 2016 | 2 comments

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 – Fat Tuesday

For the Catholics, the pope less Episcopalians and all other Kneelers and the Observers of The Lentin Season.

Hello God. Of course I am listening.

What? Lent again? Didn’t we just have it? Oh that was this time last year? Ash Wednesday begins tomorrow?

Answer: Lent starts every year on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday 2016 falls on February 10, 2016, and Holy Saturday 2016 falls on March 26, 2016, the day before Easter 2016.

While Lent is a 40-day period of fasting and prayer, there are 46 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (inclusive).

Yes, I learned that the period of Lent is actually 46 days when I started Here’s What I’m Thinking (HWIT) two Lents ago as a spiritual journey and commitment.

When I ask You to “make me a writer,” You said, “put your butt in the chair, keep it there, write stuff and trust the process.” Thank you very much for the courage to do just that. It seems to be working out well.

Thank you for everybody who follows HWIT. Thanks to my dear AXO sister, Carol, I can officially say Here’s What I’m Thinking is read worldwide. So a big prayer up on that one, God.

Answer: You are welcome. So what is it going to be this year? What are you going to do for your Lentin commitment this season?

I am going to give up swimming.

Answer: Nice try. You and your cousins have tried that for years. Still makes me laugh. You do that every year. You don’t even swim in the summer time, let alone when it is freezing! I know “freezing” in Texas is below 40 degrees.

How about this? I commit to stay on a spiritual journey, continue with Here’s What I’m Thinking, and try to make the world a better place for everyone. And meatless Fridays too!

Answer: I like that. Remember I will guide you.

I know. Thank you.

All spiritual journeys are different, yet the desire at the end is to end up in the same place. With YOU!

Palo Duro Canyon Trip April,15, 2015 Photo by me.

Answer: Yes, very true. All spiritual journeys are personal between Me and you. No, you cannot say “Get your ash to God.” Although it is funny.

http://catholicism.about.com/od/2016-Calendar/f/When-Is-Lent-2016.htm

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Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged Ash Wednesday, Fat Tuesday

Wednesday, February 18, 2015 – Ash Wednesday

Posted on February 18, 2015 | Leave a comment

Wednesday, February 18, 2015 – Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday. You know what that means? March Madness is just around the corner. No, no, no. It has nothing to do with basketball. Nor does it signify that the priests and nun stayed up all night smoking cigars and playing cards as my cousins always said. It is the beginning of the Lenten Season which ends with Easter. So if your faith is based in a kneeler religion, you are probably celebrating Ash Wednesday in some way.

Last year Ash Wednesday was in March. One year ago on Ash Wednesday, my commitment for Lent was that I would write something every day and I am proud of myself for doing so. If you are so inclined, (aka bored, with nothing to do) you can enter a term in the search engine on the right of the blog and go back and relive the thrilling days of last year.

Here is Last Year’s Day One Post

Lent 2014 Day One Today is March 5, 2014, Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Western Christian calendar, directly following Shrove Tuesday. Occurring 46 days before Easter, it is a moveable feast that can fall as early as February 4 and as late as March 10. According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this 40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting or abstinence. Of the 46 days until Easter, six are Sundays. As the Christian designation of Sabbath, Sundays are not included in the fasting period and are instead “feast” days during Lent. Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes (formally called The Imposition of Ashes) on the foreheads of adherents as a celebration and reminder of human mortality, and as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered from the burning of the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. That is the Wikipedia version. But I figured if Jesus could spend 40 days in the wilderness, no GPS, no cable TV, no Net flicks, no McDonald’s, and then I could write a page every day. I mean He was out there getting tempted by Satan. So here it goes. Contrary to what my cousins used to say, the ashes are not derived from the priests and nuns smoking cigars. Each day until Easter, I will sit and write something that fills one horizontal 8×10 sheet. If you watch The Big Bang Theory, you see that the creator of the series, Chuck Lorre, ends each program with a single par graphical page. That is where I got the idea. So meatless today – Ash Wednesday and all Fridays, writing one page per day. I pretty much have the abstinence part covered.

Today is also a day of remembrance.

Randall Edwin (Honeyboy) Duffey

B: August 17, 1907

D: February 18, 2000