8/12/2019 This Past Ash Wednesday
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This past Ash Wednesday
A Catholic friend told me the past Wednesday was Ash Wednesday
marking the start of the
six-week Lent.
I never knew such a Catholic festivity and found it interesting,
and after my friend told memore aout it, I found it !uite
meaningful.
"he Catholic fasting period is relatively special. #or instance,
a Catholic could choose to fast
only during a specific period of time in a day for one who loves
to eat, or stay away from
alcohol throughout these $% days for one who drinks regularly.
&f course, a Catholic could
also choose to refrain from sex, gamling or sweet desserts,
among others.
In short, you can choose what to refrain from, ut it must e
something you find it really
tough to reak away from, and through resistance to temptation
cleanse your soul.
Catholics will also conduct introspection throughout the Lent
into their past deeds and seekforgiveness while striving to
dissolve any ill-feeling that stands the way etween a person
and
other people.
I've come to reali(e that almost every religion has some forms
of traditions or regulations
regarding fasting although this is carried out in a great numer
of ways. Islam, )uddhism,
*induism and even Catholicism, they all have some sorts of
fasting periods.
While fasting is practiced in different manners for different
religions, the spiritual
significance is largely similar, namely for purging of the soul,
introspection, seeking
forgiveness and loving one another.
"his rought my mind to what happened outside the +alace of
ustice in +utraaya on that
very day.
Inside the +alace of ustice, the Allah issue appeal application
was heard y a seven-man
panel as lawyers representing the government and the Church
presented their respective
statements.
&utside the +alace of ustice, over a thousand people
gathered, praying or chanting, getting
excessively emotional at times,
"he phenomenon was !uite unusual in this country. In the past,
many cases involving religion
were handled y the court ut often these interested only those
directly involved, not the
pulic. /o large crowds of people demonstrating outside the
court.
)ut the Allah incident has now snowalled into something oth
0uslims and non-0uslims
in the country are highly concerned aout as they hold two
completely opposite views on this
matter.
&ver 1,233 0uslims gathered outside the +alace of ustice in
a rare show of solidarity. "o
them, this could have een a manifestation of their love for
their religion.
