Yesterday, it was "Super" Tuesday in the U.S and Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday in much of the world. But in the old nonsecular world, say the world of this 18th century convent in Ireland, it was Shrove Tuesday. Perhaps the expression Shrovetide is familiar? How about the word "shrift" as in "Well, you made short shrift of him!"*
Shrove Tuesday for Roman Catholics in centuries gone by, was the day for confession, the day to prepare yourself for Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season. (Lent is a period of forty days of prayer, fasting, reflection, to prepare for Easter.)
Now is this interesting...that "shrove" becomes "shrift" and the meaning changes to something like being verbally chewed up and spat out as in the example* above. Is that indicative of how the sacrament of confession evolved?
In the late 20th century the Church renamed "confession"...it's now called "reconciliation". Not nearly as satisfying as the act of confession. That's what we used to do, make an act of confession, active!
I attempt to work each day, to be active,to reconcile, to accept life as it is. So when I approach the alter today and the priest intones, "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, so you were and so you will be," and he places a thumb full of palm ashes in the sign of the cross on my forehead, I will pray in the words offered by Gurdjieff:
"Holy-Affirming,
Holy-Denying,
Holy-Reconciling,
Transubstantiate in me
For my Being."**
**Prayers in Gi.I. Gurdjieff's All and Everything (First, Second and Third Series)
published by Arete Communications