15/02/2024
CHRIST EVANGELICAL CHURCH
BELATED ASH WEDNESDAY
BY: ASHAR SHERAZ YOUNAS
INTRODUCTION
Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Pakistani, Indian, Asian and Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday is the final day of Carnival or Shrovetide, marking the end of pre-Lent. Lent begins the following day with Ash Wednesday.) and marks the first day of Lent, the six weeks of penitence before Easter.
ACTIVITIES
Ash Wednesday is observed by Catholics, Lutherans, Moravians, Anglicans, Methodists, Nazarenes, as well as by some churches in the Reformed tradition, including certain Congregationalist, Continental Reformed, and Presbyterian churches. Many Christians attend special Ash Wednesday church services, at which churchgoers receive ash on their foreheads. Ash Wednesday derives its name from this practice, in which the placement of ashes is accompanied by the words, "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or the dictum "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations.Ash Wednesday is always 46 days before Easter. Easter is determined as the Sunday following the first full moon that happens on or after the March equinox, which is always 21 March in the Christian Church calendars.
TRADITION OF THE CHRIST EVANGELICAL CHURCH, LAHORE, PAKISTAN
Adhering to the Pentecostal faith, the Christ Evangelical Church'S LARGE family also celebrates Shrove Wednesday with spiritual fervor every year. This year too, not only the season of fasting will start from Ash Wednesday, but on every Friday, the church will observe FASTING and break the fast together after worship and prayers. I believe that this season of fasting will be the reason for the restoration of your spiritual, social, physical and economic life.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL, AMEN!