I did not explain the Catholic concept of Fat Tuesday/ Mardis Gras very well at our last session. Here is an excellent link for you to better understand the teachings of the Catholic Church regarding this particular day:

For those who want to dive a little deeper down the Lenten rabbit hole, here is a GREAT podcast that explores Mardi Gras and some other Lenten practices that might surprise you:

Where does Lent come from? Lent draws its inspiration from the 40 days Jesus spent in the dessert. As Christians, we spiritually enter into our own desert to unite ourselves to Jesus.

The Gospels tell us that after His baptism, Jesus fasted in the desert and then was tempted by the devil. He resisted these temptations and then went to Galilee to begin His public ministry. When we unite ourselves to Him we also grow in strength to resist the temptations of the devil, the world, and the flesh.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday with fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Catholics are required to fast and pray. FASTING RULES are as follows:

Ages 0-13: Fasting is not required but parents can introduce some form of fasting to their children to prepare them for when they are older, preferably to give up meat and sweets.
Ages 14-17: NO MEAT, no meal size restriction but recommended if willing.
Ages 18-59: NO MEAT, fasting includes one full meal plus two smaller meals not equal to a full meal. Additional restrictions are voluntary bit not required.
Ages 60+: NO MEAT, fasting is not required but encouraged if the body is healthy and able.

In addition to fasting, we are required to spend time in prayer. The most perfect prayer is the Sacrifice of the Mass. Here is the schedule for our Ash Wednesday celebrations at Saint Malachy's:

9:00 Mass with Ashes
4:00 Children's Mass with Ashes
5:30 Mass for working families with Ashes
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During the Ash Wednesday service, ashes are placed on the forehead of each participant in the shape of the cross. The words are said "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return." or "Repent, turn away from sin, and believe in the Gospels."

​The ashes used are made from the palm fronds left over from last year's Palm Sunday.

There are many ways to give alms to the church. You can give of your time, your talent, or your treasure. The church has been tasked with actively engaging in the Corporal Works of Mercy every day. There are several ministries that are specifically devoted to this, such as the Saint Vincent DePaul Society. The alms you give (time, talent, or treasure) is used by them to help those in our community who are most in need. 

You and your family should pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit and decide upon a particular way to give alms to the parish. Suggestions and opportunities will be made available on how to participate in parish almsgiving practices, but you can always give on your own. You can start by giving the cost of one meal in the basket at church on Ash Wednesday.

As the new year begins to unfold in the grace of God, we  lift our hearts in reverence to the Most Holy Name of Jesus. This sacred Name, bestowed by the angel Gabriel and revealed at the Circumcision, is above every other name, for in it alone is found salvation, power, and mercy. "At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (Philippians 2:10).

​ Just as January is dedicated to the Most Holy Name of Jesus, each month of the year is given a special devotion to which our hearts are softened and prepared through special prayers and holy practices. In January, this month of new beginnings, we are invited to invoke His Name with tender devotion, making reparation for blasphemies and allowing it to sanctify our words, thoughts, and daily actions. Let us pray together, "O sweet Jesus may Your Holy Name be our refuge and our joy as we journey through the year ahead!"

Through the changing seasons, each month draws us deeper into the mysteries of our faith, guiding us toward the heart of Christ and His Blessed Mother. In the cold and darkness of February we are warmed by devotion to the Holy Family. In the springtime of March, we honor St. Joseph, the faithful guardian; April is dedicated to the Resurrection of our sweet Lord; in May, we crown Our Lady with flowers of prayer; in June, we adore the Sacred Heart burning with love for sinners. The summer and autumn months call us to the Precious Blood, the Sorrowful Mother, the Holy Rosary, and the Poor Souls in Purgatory, while December prepares us once more for the coming of the Savior. These traditional devotions, woven into the fabric of the Church's year, are gentle invitations from heaven to grow in love, to imitate the virtues of the saints, and to unite our sufferings with those of Christ. Let us then embrace this beautiful cycle of devotion with humble and fervent hearts, allowing each month to form us anew in holiness.

As we progress from the Holy Name of Jesus back into the Advent season, a longing for Christ's return should fill us, may our souls be ever more conformed to the will of the Father. In this way, the entire year becomes a living prayer, a continual offering of praise to the Triune God, through Jesus our Savior, with Mary our Mother, and under the patronage of all the saints.

​Let us pray together, "O Lord, grant that we may walk faithfully in these holy paths, so that at the end of time we may praise Your Holy Name forever in the glory of heaven. Amen."