Dimapur, Mar 1: The celebration of Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a season in which Christians are invited to prepare spiritually for the great mysteries of Christian faith – the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
At the Cathedral Church, Kohima Holy Mass with the imposition of ashes was presided over by Rev. Fr. Carolus Neisalhou, vicar general of the diocese of Kohima.
Rev. Carolus spoke of the three traditional pillars of Lenten observance, namely- prayer, fasting and almsgiving. He said he Church focuses on these three aspects to help people grow inwardly and transforming the external profession of faith and action into living relationship with God. Just like some tablets that are bitter in taste but good for our body so also Lent is a time for us to change our lives and grow in holiness, he added.Rev. Carolus also explained the meaning of Ash Wednesday saying that the Catholics Church of the Latin Rite uses this service to prepare the members to better appreciate the death and resurrection of Christ through self-examination, repentance, prayer, fasting, and self-denial. Ashes from the burned palms of the preceding year’s Palm Sunday are blessed. With these ashes, the priest marks a cross on the foreheads, he stated.
In the evening service, Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, the bishop of Kohima, stressed the perennial teaching of the Church. He said God is a loving and merciful father who invites and waits for his children to return to him. Bishop also said Jesus himself spoke of the three pillars of repentance highlighted in the Old Testament.
In both the services, ashes were blessed and put on the foreheads of the faithful with the antiphon: “Remember you are from dust and unto dust you shall return.”
Along with the rest of the world, St. Francis Xavier’s Catholic Church Kidima observed Ash Wednesday, on March 1, with Rev. Fr. Thomas Muttathil, Parish Priest as the main celebrant.
On the occasion, Rev. Muttathil called upon the church to repent from their sin and ask forgiveness for preparation of Easter celebration and to inherit eternal life. Exhorting the congregation not to shy away from God by committing sin, he said sin takes away peace from individual, family and community that lead to death.
Rev. stated that life is like an ash after death. Therefore, he called upon the people to live good life and acquire peace and attain salvation.
Anointing holy ash to faithful, holy mass celebration and enchanting Lenten hymn were the highlights for the day of the liturgy.
