In Christendom,
the Lenten season starts from Ash Wednesday – it marks the commencement of the forty-day
Lent that leads to Easter Sunday. By observing the forty days of
Lent, every Christian emulates Jesus’ abandonment into the wilderness for forty
days. Customarily, in this day also starts the
devout to fast by
abstaining from meat during Lent. Usually, the anointment of ash crossed sign on
the forehead during the Ash Wednesday signifies our existence on earth that
says from where we’ve started we’ll end – from ashes to ashes, from dust to
dust.
The feast
of triumphal entry of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem is the Palm Sunday, and resumes
the Holy Week on the day called Holy Monday.
Traditionally, the Palm Sunday is characterizes by holding and waving
the palm leaves or other native leaves in welcoming the entry of the Redeemer
riding in a donkey, it symbolizes peace instead of riding in a horse that rode
in wars.
The
Maundy Thursday commemorates Jesus Christ’s Last Supper with His Apostles where
He said in His commandment that humans should love one another. In this day also the Son of God solemnly washed
His disciples’ feet before the Last Supper which is a demonstration of love and
humility. In our time, the Holy Thursday
is the time of visiting several churches and praying the Stations of the Cross.
The day
of mourning, it is the Good Friday. This
is the commemoration of passion of Christ, His execution, crucifixion and death
on the cross at Calvary. In our age, in
this day is the announcement of the Seven Last Words. The solemnity of Holy Day is being observed as
Great Silence by refraining from exultation, noisiness, worldliness, lechery and
faithfully abstaining from eating meat. This
is like sympathizing in a deceased person and giving the respect to a dead. Good Friday is an ideal day to meditate, read
the Bible, recite prayers and live the blessed and purest of life.
In Black
Saturday, the body of Christ was laid and rested in the tomb, while His soul had
descended into hell to free the dead. Formally,
the Holy Saturday ends the Lent season and it prepares the feast of resurrection
on the following day. The Lord Jesus who
died on the cross has rose from the dead on the third day is celebrated during
Easter Sunday. Customarily, it ends the
days of mourning, fasting and silence and starts the joy of saving our souls
from sins and celebrating the feast of Lord’s resurrection.
In
Christianity, the death and the resurrection of the Lord are the most important
events in commemorating the season. It
is through His death that our sins were paid.
It represents the whole being of our good living will be rewarded with
the eternal life after our death to live again with the Lord. Lenten season is the time of commemorating,
acknowledging and valuing the great sacrifice of the Redeemer. The lent is a season of soul-searching and
repentance, this is the perfect time of reflection for the past deeds and
repenting for the wrong doings. Although
this can be done in any day even without occasion but for Christians, this is
the most ideal time to perform our belief.
It doesn’t need to become religious and devout to observe the Lent and
ponder the significance of the Holy week.
Let us
remember that in these alone we cannot get the true forgiveness and blessings
from the Lord. Repentance cannot be
shown in penance alone, faith cannot be strengthen by doing your vows and
fasting, observance in Holy week cannot be proven by reading the book of
Passion and visiting number of churches alone.
Remember that the true mercy and blessings can be received if we are
doing our worthy cause in our everyday life.
And most importantly, joining the whole Christian world in observing the
holiness of the Lenten Season by giving the full respect regardless of your belief
and sect is the good showing of elusive world peace and great love to human
race.
By Alex V. Villamayor
April
22, 2011
Thuqbah,
KSA
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