Ash Wednesday is the beginning of a pilgrimage toward Easter, a time to focus on Jesus and realize that "life really is in our hands, and with God's grace we don't have to be a victim simply of our tastes and our desires," Father Gerald Murray said on Newsmax.
"Usually you give up something that you like so it commonly centers around food, alcohol, could center around entertainment — that you watch less TV — could center around giving up some habits," Murray said, "sinful in a certain way like always criticizing people or not being nice to certain people, trying to become more conscious of our duty to love as God loves us."
Murray is pastor of the Holy Family Church in New York City said Wednesday during an appearance on "National Report."
People who practice Catholicism, as well as Christianity, receive ash marks on their foreheads at Mass on Ash Wednesday, one of the most popular and important holy days in the religion.
The day also marks the beginning of Lent, a season of preparation leading up to Easter Sunday.
"We encourage people to go to daily Mass," Murray told Newsmax.
"If they can certainly just stop in and pray, but the notion is that life is a journey from birth to death, but it shouldn't be an unconscious journey. It should be a journey with purpose and for Christians, for Catholics, this is really a time to focus on Jesus who suffered for us, but then, of course, the great victory is over death at the resurrection."
People are often very happy after Lent, he added, "because they realize, I do control my life with greater degree than I thought. We learn that life really is in our hands and with God's grace we don't we don't have to be a victim simply of our tastes and our desires we can make good decisions to love and serve God through sacrifice."
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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