The Preparation Period for Easter, which is the most important holiday for Catholics, started on February 17 at the İzmir Santa Maria Church, with Ash Wednesday. Before the Holy Mass began, the Confession Sacrament and the rosary prayer were realized.
While the Holy Mass was led by the Archbishop of İzmir, Monsignor Martin Kmetec, Father Ugo, the Rector of St. John’s Cathedral, the priests of the church where the Mass was celebrated, the priests of Göztepe Notre-Dame de Lourdes Church, Alsancak Rosario Church, Bornova Church of the Holy Name of the Virgin Mary and the priests of St. Helena Church in Karşıyaka also accompanied the Mass.
After reading the Words from the Book of the Prophet Joel and the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, Deacon Nikolai read the Words from the Gospel of St. Matthew.
Then, in his sermon in Turkish and English, Monsignor Martin said, ”… At the beginning of this lent, Christians are invited to renew their devotion to Christ. They are called to renew their will to live according to God’s commandments, with one word we are invited to change life and return to God.
There are three ways to live the time of fasting and to repent:
First is praying as our close relationship with God… As we need to take care of our body and our health, we need to take care of some gestures to make us realize practices regularly, to be aware that we are the temple of the Spirit to be awake in faith.
The second practice is repentance applied to the body by fasting. Fasting and abstinence practices.
Thirdly, according to the Gospel, during this lent, the Church invites us to be aware of the suffering of people. This means being aware of the fragility of our brothers’ bodies. We are invited to share through bodily mercy deeds” said.
After the sermon, Archbishop and high priest of the Church of Santa Maria, Father Pietro, sprinkled the consecrated ashes on their heads in the form of a cross.
The used ashes are always liturgically turned into ash by burning the branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday and used on Ash Wednesday.
The Way of the Cross will be held on Wednesday, February 24 and every Wednesday evening during the Preparation Period for Easter. The Prayer to the Eucharist will be celebrated on every Thursday in the late afternoon, and the Holy Mass (Sunday Mass) in the evening, in İzmir Santa Maria Church, on February 25, and during the Preparation Period. The Easter of 2021 will be celebrated on April 4. (Nathalie Ritzmann, Sat-7 Turkish İzmir)
