聖灰禮儀 Ash Wednesday

2024年2月14日(星期三)是聖灰瞻禮，進入四旬期，當天早晚彌撒中會施放聖灰，教友當守大小齋。

從聖灰瞻禮開始教會禮儀進入四旬期，教會鼓勵教友在此四旬期內應多行克己、守齋的神功，同時勤辦告解、行愛德善功，求天主寬赦眾人之罪！
大小齋規則 - 新聖教法典宣稱：

一. 普世教會的悔罪日期是全年之中的每星期五以及整個四旬期。
二. 全年之中每星期五守小齋，除非當日為特別慶節。守小齋的規定，適用於所有十四歲以上的人士。
三. 每年聖灰瞻禮日及耶穌受難日守大小齋。守大齋的規定適用於年齡在十八歲以上但未達六十歲的人士。傳統上，所稱的小齋即是放棄取用熱血動物的肉類食品。所謂大齋，即在小齋的基礎上，一天只可飽餐一頓，可選擇在早上及晚間取用少量食物，其餘時間只可取用流質飲品，但盡可能以減少享受為原則。病人、身體衰弱者、孕婦可免守大小齋。

守齋的意義

一. 為紀念耶穌苦難，主耶穌為代人贖罪，甘願受難受死。我們守大小齋，在飲食上做些克苦，是為使我們體會到克苦不好受不容易，才體會到耶穌為我們受難受死，更是多麼不好受不容易。現在我們藉守齋克苦，就是為紀念耶穌為我們所作的偉大犧牲，永遠感謝祂的救恩。
二. 為藉大小齋得以清心寡欲作補贖，賠補我們所犯罪惡，進而修德立功，獲得心靈的淨化，促進靈修生活的長足進步，永久熱愛天主。

February 14, 2024 (Wednesday) is Ash Wednesday; distribution of Ashes in the monring (9:10am) and evening (8:00pm) Masses; faithful should observe fasting.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. Palms from the previous Palm Sunday are burned – ashes from these palms are distributed on Ash Wednesday as a sign of penitence.

The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent. Abstinence from eating meat or some other food according to the prescripts of the conference of bishops is to be observed on every Friday of the year unless a Friday occurs on a day listed as a solemnity. Abstinence and fasting, however, are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting in the Latin Church is the limitation of food and drink – typically to one main meal and two smaller meals, with no solid foods in between. The law of abstinence binds those who are fourteen years of age and older. The law of fasting, however, binds all those who are eighteen to fifty-nine years of age. Nevertheless, pastors of souls and parents are to take care that minors not bound by the law of fast and abstinence are also educated in a genuine sense of penance. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops decrees that the days of fast and abstinence in Canada are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fridays are days of abstinence but Catholics may substitute special acts of charity or piety on this day.

Easter is both the historical and proper time for the celebration of the sacraments of initiation. On the first Sunday of Lent, the catechumens (unbaptized people seeking admission in the Catholic Church) celebrate the Rite of Election and enter into the final period of preparation for the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation and Eucharist. Adults are baptized (or brought into full communion for baptized non-Catholics), confirmed, and receive first Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.

Seven Things to Know about Ash Wednesday

(Source : https://www.archtoronto.org/en)