Again there seems to be such a perfectness in the order of the things we celebrate. For example, it is customary for us to express love and gratitude towards the people in our lives on Valentine's Day.Then there's Fat Tuesday (Feb. 15th, this year). Fat Tuesday is the Eve of Ash Wednesday, or the beginning of Lent, which is celebrated by our Catholic friends, and while I'm not Catholic, I do admire what I think is the thought behind where it all came from.
Lent is the 40 days before Easter, or the Passover, in which the person gives up something as a sacrifice in remembrance of the 40 days that Jesus fasted. I believe this is to help the person to draw closer to the Lord by being able to experience a portion of what he went through, much like fasting once a month does for Mormons. And Fat Tuesday is the day of purging homes in preparation. Many choose to give up some kind of sweets or favorite foods for 
the 40 days and Fat Tuesday is a time of gathering friends and family together to get rid of the targeted food items. (This is also the origin of Mardi Gras, literally "Fat Tuesday" in French, or Carnivale, which have become far removed from their worthy and humble beginnings and should be avoided.)
But, I think there are many devout church goers who see Lent as an opportunity to give up a sin , never to take it up again, thus showing our Lord their love and appreciation for His atoning sacrifice.
the 40 days and Fat Tuesday is a time of gathering friends and family together to get rid of the targeted food items. (This is also the origin of Mardi Gras, literally "Fat Tuesday" in French, or Carnivale, which have become far removed from their worthy and humble beginnings and should be avoided.)At the end of Lent is the Passover which is celebrated by all of the House of Israel, both Jews and Christians alike, once again, in remembrance and thankfulness of the Atonement of our Lord.
I reflect on President Hinckley and his repeated admonishment for us to "be a little kinder". As I use this season for what I can give up, it will be to more quickly forgive. This is the greatest of all sins next to the taking or bringing life outside of God's law, and it is so because it robs us of being able to be forgiven of all of our sins. Thank you, February, for this seasonal reminder that our first love should be of deity and the best way to show our love for them is to show our love for each other.
2 comments:
That is alot of very interesting, good information. I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing. Hope all is well!
Woops, now how am I commenting under Luke's name? I'll have to fix that. Anyway, obviously, both these comments are from me - your favorite sister in law. LOL!
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