Kohima, March 1 (MExN): The celebration of Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a season in which Christians are invited to prepare spiritually for the great mysteries of Christian faith – the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
At the Cathedral Church, Kohima Holy Mass with the imposition of ashes was presided over by Rev. Fr. Carolus Neisalhou, Vicar General of the diocese of Kohima. In his homily he spoke of the three traditional pillars or tablets of Lenten observance, namely, prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Fr. Neisalhou further explained the meaning of Ash Wednesday saying that the Catholics Church of the Latin Rite uses this service to prepare the members to better appreciate the death and resurrection of Christ through self-examination, repentance, prayer, fasting, and self-denial. Ashes from the burned palms of the preceding year's Palm Sunday are blessed. With these ashes, the priest marks a cross on the foreheads.
A second service was held at the Cathedral Church in the evening presided over by Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, the bishop of Kohima. During the homily he stressed the perennial teaching of the Church that God is a loving and merciful Father who invites and waits for his children, the human being, to return to Him. This was stated in a press release issued by Fr. Thomas Toretkiu, Bishop’s Secretary, Kohima.
