Christian Art | Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as he discovers his disciples asleep
1 Corinthians 15 – Word Aloud New Testament | King James Audio Bible | KJV
From Sin to Salvation | The Significance of Ash Wednesday and Lent
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lent, the Lenten season, and falls 46 days before Easter – which is to say 40 days plus Sundays. A day of fasting and penitence, Christians are called to acknowledge their sinfulness and repent. On Ash Wednesday, ashes are placed on the forehead of each person in the sign of the Cross as a symbol of mortality and penitence.
The Lenten season prepares individuals for the celebration of Easter. Christians are called to confess their sins, acknowledge their mortality, and direct their hearts and minds towards the Kingdom of Heaven. Lent is an opportunity for individuals to focus on spiritual growth and renewal by putting aside worldly desires and focusing on the teachings of Jesus.
During this time, Christians are encouraged to make a conscious effort to live a more holy and pious life, to seek forgiveness for sins, and to prepare themselves to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. It is a time to reflect on the Passion of Christ and to remember his sacrifice on the Cross, as well as to recommit to the path of righteousness. Lent is a season of penitence, a time to confess sins and to turn away from them, a time to seek the forgiveness of God and to be transformed by grace.
Confession Of Sins And Acknowledging Mortality
Confession of sins and acknowledgement of mortality is central to forgiveness of sins through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We may recall John the Baptist – we may ‘recall’ in mind the sacrament of baptism – and so the necessity of confessing sins in order to receive this forgiveness. Acknowledging mortality is crucial Christian praxis in order to discover the eternal as distinct from – lust, material possession, pride, the flesh, the joy of riches – things of this world.
Through the rituals of fasting and penitence, Christians are called to turn away from their sins and to seek forgiveness. This time of reflection and self-examination helps Christians to grow in their faith, to deepen their relationship with God, and to become more like Christ.
‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1:9, KJV)
‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Romans 6:23, KJV)
St. John Chrysostom, 4th-century bishop and theologian, wrote: ‘Let us turn to repentance, confess our faults, make supplication, beg forgiveness of the Lord, who alone is good and loves mankind.’
St. Augustine of Hippo, 5th-century bishop and theologian, wrote: ‘Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person has great power.’
Sin And Lusts Of Flesh Aside | Direct Ourselves To Heaven
Christians believe that the things of this world are temporary and that our ultimate goal should be to seek the Kingdom of Heaven. This requires individuals to put aside their sins and the lusts of the flesh and to focus instead on spiritual pursuits such as prayer, reading the Bible, and serving others.
We direct ourselves towards the Kingdom of Heaven by engaging in spiritual practices such as prayer, Bible study, and service to others. Fasting and almsgiving are also important aspects of the Christian faith and can help individuals to put aside worldly desires and focus on spiritual pursuits. Additionally, participating in worship and attending church provide a supportive community in which individuals grow in faith and deepen relationship with God.
Ash Wednesday and Lent serve as a time for Christians to reflect on our spiritual journey. As Christians look forward to the celebration of Easter, Lent is preparation for this joyous occasion through self-denial and penitence.
The Garden Of Gethsemane And Significance Of Jesus’ Sacrifice
Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples to pray and ask God to spare him from the suffering he was about to endure. However, despite his anguish and distress, Jesus ultimately submitted to God’s will and accepted the sacrifice that was required of him. On Ash Wednesday and through the period of Lent, we may be encouraged to meditate upon Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Our time spent with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane will strengthen us spiritually.
Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) writes about Jesus’ experience in the Garden of Gethsemane as a moment of intense spiritual struggle and surrender to the will of God. ‘In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experiences the whole reality of human weakness and abandonment. He is overwhelmed by sadness to the point of sweating blood, yet even then he does not cling to his own will, but accepts the Father’s plan with the words ‘not my will, but yours be done.’
John Wesley, founder of Methodism, wrote in one of his sermons that ‘In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see the Saviour’s great distress, when he sweat as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’
Billy Graham, the famous Evangelical preacher, once said in one of his sermons that ‘The Garden of Gethsemane is a vivid picture of the cost of our salvation and the depths of Christ’s love for us. It reminds us that we are not saved by good works or religious devotion, but by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.’
Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily during the celebration of the Chrism Mass in 2008, focused on the Garden of Gethsemane as a moment of intense spiritual struggle for Jesus. ‘The Garden of Gethsemane reveals to us the depth of Jesus’ abandonment by his friends, of his being alone in the face of the drama of sin and death, but also of his abandonment to the will of the Father.’
Pope Benedict emphasized the importance of following Jesus’ example of surrendering to the will of God, even in the face of difficulty and suffering.
Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation, wrote in one of his commentaries on the Bible that ‘In Gethsemane, we see the full weight of the sin of the world being placed on Jesus and his willingness to endure that weight out of love for us.’
‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16, KJV)
‘And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.’ (Philippians 2:8, KJV)
Christianity Today And The Denominations
The Church began in Jesus as one. Through missionary activity, many local churches arose – as for example addressed by Saint Paul at the Church in Corinth, the Church in Antioch, the Church in Philippi, the Church in Ephesus, the Church in Galatia, the Church in Thessaly, the Church in Rome.
Then, with the conversion of Constantine, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. At this point, the Church can be considered catholic. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan creed – the Credo – reflects this. The creed states in English translation via Latin – and this includes the filioque:
Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem,
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
factorem cæli et terræ, visibilium omnium et invisibilium.
maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible:
Et in unum Dominum, Jesum Christum,
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia sæcula.
the only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages;
Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God;
genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri;
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father,
per quem omnia facta sunt.
by whom all things were made;
Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de cælis.
who for us men and for our salvation descended from heaven.
Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est.
He was incarnate by the Holy Ghost out of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato passus, et sepultus est,
He was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried:
et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas,
And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures:
et ascendit in cælum, sedet ad dexteram Patris.
And ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father:
Et iterum venturus est cum gloria, iudicare vivos et mortuos,
And the same shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead:
cuius regni non erit finis;
Of whose kingdom there shall be no end;
Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem,
And (I believe) in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and life-giver,
qui ex Patre Filioque procedit.
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur:
who, with the Father and the Son, together is worshiped and glorified,
qui locutus est per prophetas.
who has spoken through the prophets.
Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam.
And (I believe in) one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church,
Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum.
I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
Et expecto Resurrectionem mortuorum,
And I await the Resurrection of the dead:
et vitam venturi sæculi. Amen.
and the life of the coming age. Amen.
In AD 1054, the Church experienced schism – East and West excommunicating one another, the West becoming Roman Catholic and the East Orthodox. Then around the 16th Century, there were in Europe breaks from Rome – this being the Reformation.
From and since the break with Rome, many Protestant denominations have grown and flourished. These include the Pentecostal, the Evangelical, the Baptist. Each has unique emphases on Christian praise and worship. There is perhaps a more charismatic emphasis on conversion to Christ and worship. There is perhaps a sense of individuals’ unmediated connection with God, with Jesus Christ, as apart from the role of the Church, the priests, the sacraments. It is important for all Christians to acknowledge one another in Christ. There should be no room for prejudice and only understanding of each other’s true faith.
The Passion Of The Christ | Crucifixion Of Jesus
Through death and Resurrection, Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins and made it possible for us to have a relationship with God. The Passion of Christ defines human history. Crucified by Pontius Pilate at the request of the Jewish authorities, Jesus willingly accepted the punishment for sins of humanity.
‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16 KJV)
It is to the Cross of Jesus that our Lenten thoughts direct. It is appropriate that we kiss the feet of Jesus on the Cross as we confess Ash Wednesday.
‘For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.’ (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
‘But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.’ (1 Corinthians 15:20)
St. Augustine: ‘Let us celebrate this Easter with joy, because the Resurrection of Christ has washed away our sins.’
Pope Francis: ‘Easter is the feast of hope: Christ is risen and everything is different. The Resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of Christian hope.’
The second of the Ten Commandments, ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,’ is a call to reverence and respect for the divine name and for the faith it represents. The second commandment prohibits the abuse of God’s name, i.e., every improper use of the names of God, Jesus Christ, but also of the Virgin Mary and all the saints [ … ]
Saint Paul, whose birth name was Saul, was born in Tarsus in the first century. Saint Paul was a member of the Jewish diaspora, meaning that he grew up outside of Palestine, in a community of Jews living in the Roman Empire. This would be in the Hellenic lands, meaning that these were Greek-speaking areas, as such dating from the conquests of Alexander the Great. Saul’s parents were both devout Jews, and he was raised in a strict religious environment that emphasized obedience to the Jewish law and traditions [ … ]
The poem explores themes of worship, reverence, and obedience to divine authority. The poem religious tensions of the Reformation era. It expresses Herbert’s struggle with the practice of venerating saints and Mary, this with an unwavering commitment to Christ’s commands. Herbert knows truth, and yet refrains from seeking angels’ and saints’ intercession, with the thought that all worship belongs solely to God [ … ]