Thursday after ash Wednesday – March 6, 2025 – liturgical calendar

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The ashes are hardly washed clean by our forehead. In this second Lent period we are working on our spiritual program. The first four masses in Lent are a unit. They describe the concentration area and the dimensions of our fasting program. Today's trade fair teaches that it is the life of the soul with which we deal with. The opening prayer at the fair is the usual when you start a big work.

The Roman martyrology reminiscent St. Colette (1381-1447)who revived the Franciscan spirit under the poor Clares. Their reform spread in France, Savoy, Germany and Flanders, many conventions being restored and seventeen new ones were founded by her. She helped St. Vincent Ferrer with the healing of the papal schism.

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Meditation for Thursday after ashes Wednesday – our ascetic duty

We disciples of the gospel school have a new and overwhelming reason that calls us on ascetic duty. We are at least potentially sinners; We have to prevent or pay for our mistakes. We have to expand our defects; We have to punish the existing or renassation of disturbance in our devastation by the original and actual sin. We need a redeeming punishment.

Finally, we have the obligation and the desire to step into the footsteps of our master, who said: “If someone comes after me, let him refuse and take his cross and follow me (Matt 16:24). The imitation of Christ: What kind of program!

Now we will only read a quote from the old and big origen again; Here it is: “Should I show you what fasting you have to practice? Quickly (that is, do without) from every sin. “This is the fast that God likes.

-Pope St. Paul VI., April 4, 1973

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Meditation about the gospel, Lukas 9: 22-25:

Jesus is not satisfied with demonstrating the eschatological necessity of his own suffering. He also prepared his supporters to accept a life of the exam in the same spirit. To emphasize this teaching, Luke makes a somewhat artificial collection of sayings of Jesus.

The verbs Avoid, take up the cross, follow Christ after Christ are really synonymous. Everyone shows in their own way what the essential element is Christian life. Since he himself anticipates the punishment of the cross for his revolutionary ideas, Jesus warns his successors that if they remain loyal, they have to expect the same fate. As a result, you have to reject all personal security and take the advice of the championship (the rabbinical meaning of “someone”) not only theoretically, but in practical life (“wear the cross”).

In this context, life means saving life, giving up the group of supporters of Christ and deciding that it is dangerously revolutionary and is looking for security. Losing life means risking life by staying part of the group. The risk can only be taken in complete solidarity with the person of Jesus (“for me”).

If this solidarity is maintained throughout the earthly life, it will be rewarded by an active part in the resurrection of Christ and his eschatological kingdom. In this way, the Paschal secret is fulfilled for every Christian. This experience in death and in the resurrection becomes the amount of all of his disciples. They in turn carry their cross so that they can live with him in glory.

–Guide to the Christian assembly, Thierry Maertens and Jean Frisque

Highlights and things to do:

• Discuss the idea of ​​forgiveness with your children and emphasize with today's gospel that the forgiveness of Christ for those who humble their crimes humbly against him is limitless. Ask them for ways how to practice this virtue with their sisters and brothers every day, with their parents and with their friends.
• In this fourth week of Lent, often the time in which children begin to lose the focus or tired of this loss season, give them something tangible where you can work, such as:

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St. Colette

Nicolette was born in 1380 and was named in honor of St. Nicholas of Myra. Her loving parents called her colette from the time when she was a baby. Colette's father was a carpenter in a abbey in Picardy. Colette was a great help for her mother with housework. Her parents noticed the child's prayer and their sensitive, loving nature.

When Colette was seventeen, her two parents died. The young woman was put under the care of the abbot in the monastery in which her father had worked. She asked and received a hut next to the abbey church. Colette lived there. She spent her time praying and sacrificing for the Church of Jesus. More and more people have learned about this holy young woman. They visited them and asked their advice on important problems. They knew that she was wise because she lived close to God. She received everyone with gentle friendliness. After each visit, they pray that their visitors would find peace peace. Colette was a member of the third order of St. Francis. She knew that the religious order of women who followed the lifestyle of St. Francis are the poor Clares. They are named in St. Clare, their foundation, which was a supporter of St. Francis. During Colettes time, the poor Clares had to return for the original purpose of their order. Saint Francis of Assisi seemed to be Colette and asked her to reform the poor Clares. She must have been surprised and afraid of such a difficult task. But she trusted in God's grace. Colette traveled to the poor Clare considers. She helped the nuns to be poor and prayed.

The poor Clares were inspired by St. Colette's life. She had a great dedication to Jesus in the Eucharist. She also often meditated about the passion and death of Jesus. She loved Jesus and her religious calling very much.

Colette knew exactly when and where she would die. She died in 1447 in one of her monasteries in Ghent, Flanders. She was sixty -seven. Colette was proclaimed saint by Pope Pius VI in 1807.

– from the Holy Spirit interactively

Symbols and representation: Birds; Lamb; Woman brought to heaven by an angel; Woman who frees a soul from the purgatory; Poor Clare Now holds a crucifix and a hook; Poor Clare now, visited by Saint Anne, the St. Francis of Assisi and/or the Holy Clare of Assisi in a vision; Poor Clare now that goes for a walk on a stream

Patronage: against eye disorders; Against fever; for headaches; against infertility; Against the death of the parents; Handyman; Poor Clares; Servant; Corbie, France; Ghent, Belgium

Highlights and things to do: