Today, we celebrate Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday, and yet, we are mindful that tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, ushers in Lent, the season of self-examination as we focus on our relationship with God.
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
May you have a joyful Mardi Gras. Today is Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, the last day of the season after Ephiphany. We are on the eve of Lent. Today around the world in Christian communities, people are clearing out the rich food from the cupboards and refrigerators, eating up those sorts of things in order to enter into the Lenten fast tomorrow.
The bright colors of Mardi Gras – purple and gold and green – remind us of the passion of Christ, the love of Christ for the world and the richness of gifts of Christ to us. Tomorrow, we begin the Lenten journey. As we awake to the new day, it will be Ash Wednesday and these bright rich colors will give way to the ashes placed upon our foreheads. We will remember that indeed, we belong to God, that we are mortal, that we come from the earth and to the earth we shall return. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The movement from the rich colors of Mardi Gras to the solemnity of Ash Wednesday is difficult yet necessary for us as we begin our Lenten journey toward Easter. We know the great riches of God that await all who follow faithfully.
May you have a joyful Mardi Gras and a blessed Lent. May your journey through Lent draw you back toward God. May you live deeply into the scriptures. May your prayers abound. May your good work on behalf of others continue. May this be a season this Lent that draws us all back to God.