We are again approaching the
Easter season and many will be participating in what is known as Lent. Lent lasts for about forty days and is supposed
to be a time of self-denial, moderation, fasting and the forsaking of sinful
habits. It is a special day of
preparation for each person, getting them spiritually ready for the celebration
of Easter. Lent is celebrated by the
Orthodox Churches, a few Protestant groups, and especially by Catholics.
One of the main aspects of
Lent for Catholics is Ash Wednesday. Ash
Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, and on this day, ashes are applied on
the forehead of the participating Catholic, referencing, to some extent, the
Old Testament concept of using ashes during fasting or mourning (for example, 2
Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3). To make these special ashes, the Church uses
palm leaves that are “blessed” by the priest and sprinkled with “holy water.”
But interestingly, this special
day of preparation named Ash Wednesday comes right after a day called Shrove
Tuesday or Mardi Gras, which is
French for “Fat Tuesday.” Mardi Gras is generally a day of decorative
parades and festivities, and often a time of drunkenness, lust, revelry and
wild parties, especially in cities like New Orleans. Not only is it celebrated in many cities in
the U.S., like Mobile, Galveston, St. Louis, Orlando, and San Diego, but also
in other countries, including Brazil, Italy, France, Colombia, India and Canada.
But the proud revelry of Fat
Tuesday certainly tends to negate the intended purity and significance of Ash
Wednesday in many cases. We know of many
Catholics who see Mardi Gras as “one last wild party” before getting “serious”
with God. It is a mockery of God and of
the person’s supposed new life ahead.
The participant is a lustful glutton and carouser on Tuesday, but on
Wednesday, he suddenly becomes a holy vessel of God because he is wearing ashes
in the shape of a cross on his forehead.
God is not fooled by this, and neither are many observers.
Ash Wednesday does indeed
intend to convey the idea of public fasting, but for many people, fasting has
seemed to have lost its meaning. The
prophet Isaiah spoke of a true fast, one
coming from the heart and not through external appearances (Isaiah
58:3-7).
But Jesus, in the gospel of
Matthew, clarified even farther the proper way to fast...
Matthew 6:
v. 16 - And whenever you fast, do not
put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in
order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I
say to you, they have their reward in full.
v. 17 - But you, when you fast, anoint
your head, and wash your face,
v. 18 - so that you may not be seen
fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees
in secret will repay you.” (NASV)
So why the ashes in
public? Why does anyone else have to
know when you’re fasting? Is it a true fast, or is it all just for show,
like with the hypocrites? Jesus said
that fasting should be a private
matter. Why would any church (Catholic
or otherwise) that claims to follow Jesus Christ purposely disobey His specific
commands about the manner of fasting by placing ashes on the foreheads of its
members for display? It is true that no
one is forced to do this, but they
are certainly encouraged by the Catholic Church to do this public (and
unbiblical) ritual.
Notice in the context of Matthew
6:1-6 that Jesus said that those who practice their holiness publicly (to be seen of men) already have their reward… and that
reward is the attention and admiration of those who notice them. But that’s it. It is the reward of the hypocrite. This is his only reward. He doesn’t get
a reward from God. His “pious” works
were wasted and his religion is a sham.
The truth is, those
participating in Ash Wednesday are acting more like Pharisees than they are
Christians. Jesus strongly condemned all
forms of hypocrisy, especially the religious pretension of the Pharisees (Matthew
23).
But to be fair, the Catholic
Church is not the only group to be infected with hypocrisy. It can be found in Orthodox and Protestant
churches, as well. Nevertheless, to
encourage your members to openly disregard the teaching of Jesus so that they
can be noticed of men is to put them in a dangerous position… it is indeed fasting like the hypocrites. Jesus said of the Pharisees and scribes:
“You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah
prophesy of you, saying, ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their
heart is far away from Me.’” (Matthew 15:7-8 - NASV)
