Children’s Corner: PUSHKIN’S MEWSINGS

    This week humans keep what they call “Pancake Day”. Last year I went into the kitchen to see what it was all about. I saw our cook putting eggs, lots of milk and flour into a bowl and beating it all up. While she wasn’t looking, I put my paw into the bowl to see what it tasted like—not very nice, I can tell you! Then I watched her pour some of the mixture into a frying pan and it turned into a thing you humans call pancakes.

    Have you ever wondered children, why you do this?  It’s because the next day is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent—a time of 40 days when, once upon a time, people not only went without meat, but without eggs, milk and cheese as well. This is why you have to get rid of all those eggs and milk on the day before. (I certainly  don’t think I could go without my cat food for 40 days!)

    Anyway, I found out that the proper name for Pancake Day is ‘Shrove Tuesday’. Shrove comes from an old fashioned word meaning going to Confession. The word ‘Lent’ means lengthening of days. It’s sort of the Church’s spring time. That explains why I can get up in the morning and look through the window and see all those delicious birdies flying about, because it’s not so dark. You’ll see lots of special things going on in Lent and it would be a great idea if you would try and join in at least some of them. For instance, Catholic grown-ups don’t eat meat on Friday. You could do that too. It’s not that hard for me because everyone knows pussy cats adore fish! Lots of grown-ups give up things for Lent. Why don’t you try giving up sweets or crisps?

    Lent also gives us time to think about people who are not so lucky as we are. Perhaps you could give your pocket money to a charity which helps these people. I am sure that the teachers at school  will be organising this. I feel very sad about those poor hungry children in countries like Africa and India (and their pets too). But it’s no use just being sad about them, we must do something to help them.

    Now a very, very special thing grown-ups do in Lent is praying the Stations of the Cross. It tells the story about how Jesus carried His cross to Calvary and died to save us. There are 14 lovely pictures round our church which help us to form thoughts in our minds. You can see people walk round and look at the pictures. You could do this too. And remember that on Good Friday all the children are invited to church at 12 o’clock when they will have their own special Stations of the Cross.

    On Ash Wednesday, we all go to church and the priest puts a cross on our head with the Ashes of burned palm branches. This helps remind us that God made us all and loves us all the same, whoever we are.  In the old, old days in the Bible, we can read how people used to rub their heads with ashes to show how sorry they were for their sins. We have ashes on our heads to show that we are sorry as well.