Dies Cinerum

Today was Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Lent is the 40 day period until Easter. Many Catholics fast (don’t eat) or give up something important during Lent.

Fr. Shimizu came and delivered a short message during lunch time in the chapel. The attending students received blessed ash on their foreheads. In English, the traditional Ash Wednesday prayer is, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

For believers, the next forty days leading up to Easter are very important. Christmas is a bigger holiday than Easter, especially in Japan, so many people think it is the most important Christian holiday. However, for most believers, Easter is the most important day in the calendar because it celebrates the resurrection of Christ.