WHEN THE GREEN PALM TURNS ASHES
Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua
Every year the Church celebrates Ash Wednesday. Christians are very
enthusiastic in wearing the ashes to demonstrate that they are ready and
willing to repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1, 15). Christians are
reminded that from dust, they were created and to dust they will return
(Genesis 3, 19). Sometimes, I wonder how many people think of the source of the
ashes that are used on Ash Wednesday. These ashes come from the fresh green
palms that were used on Palm Sunday the previous year to mark the triumphant
entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
On Palm Sunday, Christians are reminded of the ups and downs of life. That the
same people who shout hosanna could in the next moment shout: “Away with him!
Crucify him!” The praise singers today would prefer the release of a thief to
the release of the Saviour
tomorrow. If this happens when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry
(Luke 23, 31). In comfort, a person lacks the vision and wisdom to know true
friends and real foes because in his riches a person lacks wisdom (Psalm 49 (48),
1-13). When the green palm turns to ashes, people are reminded that no
condition is permanent and no position is permanent.
Ash Wednesday then should be a day of intra-personal
dialogue and self introspection for a person to rediscover the real self and the
true neighbor. The gospels of
Matthew, Mark and Luke agree that Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the
desert. He encountered Satan who pretended to be a good neighbour who was concerned about his physical
needs whereas the real intention is to distract (tempt) him from his divine vision
and mission. The Imposition of Ashes
on the foreheads reminds Christians of human mortality, human
emptiness and frailty. Today, Ash Wednesday is observed by Catholics,
Lutherans, Methodists, Anglicans, and Presbyterians. We should remember that
the imposition of ashes is not a sacrament but a sacramental hence in the Catholic Church; ashes may be given to
anyone who wishes to receive them as opposed to Catholic sacraments, which are
generally reserved for church members, except in cases of grave necessity. In
other Christian denominations ashes may be received by all who profess the
Christian faith.
In the
Catholic Church, Christians observe Ash Wednesday by fasting, abstinence and
repentance. Similarly, in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, Ash Wednesday is
a day of fasting. In other Christian denominations, the main focus is on
repentance. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics between the ages of 18
and 59 (whose health enables them to do so) are permitted to consume only one
full meal. However, some Catholics go beyond the minimum obligations demanded
by the Church and undertake a complete fast from food and water on Ash
Wednesday and Good Friday. Ordinarily, abstinence from meat is recommended but
there are people who can not afford meat or do not eat meat regularly. For this
reason, the main thrust is to abstain from something one finds difficult to do
without.
In the
Old Testament, ashes were used to express mourning and sorrow for sins and
faults. Job says to God: "I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear:
but now mine eyes have seen you. Therefore I humble myself, and repent in dust
and ashes" (Job 42, 5-6). The prophet Jeremiah calls for repentance saying:
"O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes"
(Jeremiah 6, 26). The prophet Daniel "
turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and
ashes" (Daniel 9, 3). The Maccabees prepared for battle by fasting and wearing
ashes: "That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on
their heads and tore their clothes" (1 Maccabees 3, 47; 4, 39). Other
books of the Old Testament like Numbers, Ezekiel and Jonah indicates fasting
and penance by wearing of ashes and sackcloth. The 40 days of fasting by Jesus
(Matthew 4, 1-11; Mark 1, 12-13; Luke 4, 1-13) could remind us of the 40 days Moses
repented and fasted for the sin of the Golden calf that was made by the
Israelites. The Jews today follow a 40 day period of repentance during the
feasts of Rosh Chodesh Elul to Yom Kippur. In the Roman Missal, dies cinerum (day of ashes) is found in
the Gregorian Sacramentary dates to about the 8th century,
indicating the duration of this practise.
I have included every Christian
irrespective of denomination in this need for penance because, Nigeria today
needs perfect reconciliation. In any type of war being it jihad or crusade,
children and women are not killed in battle. The chaplains, medical doctors and
journalists are respected in the battle field no matter the intensity of the
war. On March 7, 2014 Sesan
Olufowobi, Olufemi Atoyebi and Chukwudi Akasike reported the women protest of
Boko Haram’s killing of over 50 school children in Yobe
State and the abduction of 25 girls in
Bornu State by Boko Haram. In Lagos, the protesting women staged a peaceful
walk to the governor’s office in Alausa, Ikeja to register their grievances. On
Thursday March 6, 2014, reported that Senate President David
Mark yesterday (March 5, 2014) urged Nigerians to create an atmosphere for
dialogue, reconciliation, understanding and forgiveness to stamp out violent
crimes. Mark made this statement at St. Mulumba’s Catholic Chaplaincy, Apo, Abuja.
It appears that the Christians in government have
disappointed the nation either by commission or omission. How come that the
insecurity in the country has defied all security measures? With all the
soldiers in the terrorist’s empires, our children are still being killed and
slaughtered like rams. Women have been rendered widows, men have been rendered
widowers and children have been rendered orphans. To become a Christian in some
states in the Northern part of Nigeria
has become a serious risk. The number of houses of worship that have been
destroyed and the number of innocent lives that have been wasted in the
Northern part of Nigeria
calls for National morning and wearing of ashes. When shall we really be on top
of the situation once and for all and restore freedom to the citizens of our
dear nation? Let all the Christian leaders go into penance, wear ashes and
sackcloth for the ills of our nation.
Since it
is now clear that the gun and weapons of war can not save us and give us
security, let all the Christians begin to work with the Muslims who believe in
the sanctity of life. Let us accept that many Muslims are also suffering in the
hands of the terrorists. If the Muslims (who also do penance during Ramadan)
and Christians work together, we should be able to identify the terrorist and
appeal to them to find out what they actually want. Since the committee put in
place by the Federal Government has failed woefully, it is now clear that the
Nigeria Inter-religious Council (NIREC) should begin a serious penance for not
being able to give to the nation the desired peace for which the Council was
inaugurated. It is hoped that the renewal of this Lenten season will further
open up the heart of every Christian to interior conversion and more openness
to dialogue with the Muslim to restore peace to Nigeria and the whole world. When
the green palm burns into ashes, it is hoped that all our iniquities would have
been purged to transform us into new creatures.
Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue
of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja and Consultor for the Commission
for Religious Relations with Muslims (C.R.R.M), Vatican City, Rome.
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