Today at my parish school, St. Edward, we gathered the students in grades 2-8 and had a small ceremony as we burned last years palm branches for ashes on Wednesday.  It was a great ceremony that another minister created (there is no official ceremony in the Church) and shared with our parish.  It was not only a fun activity (it’s always fun to burn stuff) but a prayerful and educational one as well.  We discussed the importance of Lent and how we are called to Fast, Pray, and Give Alms.

    The reading that was chosen for this ceremony came from Isaiah 58 where he challenges those fasting on how they have chosen to fast.  Isaiah says that fasting shouldn’t be about misery, pain, or suffering; rather, a true fast sets prisoners free, feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked.  Sound familiar?  Lenten fasting isn’t about restarting a failed new years resolution.  Lenten fasting is for the same reasons we burn palms and smear the ashes on our foreheads: to remind us that Discipleship looks like Christ’s own passion, death, and most importantly, his resurrection!  

    We burn palms and walk the journey of Lent to remind us that we too will die; however, we will also rise with Christ on that glorious resurrection day!  Death is not an end but a transition from this world to the Kingdom of God.  Lent is a special time to remind us that we are not perfect and we need to become perfect, just as our heavenly father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).  As Ash Wednesday quickly approaches, lets think about those things in our lives we need to fast from so that we can become better Disciples of Jesus.