How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. (Psalm 36: 7-9)

In many churches today is the last day of Epiphany. This season of celebration comes to a close and a season of preparation for Easter begins tomorrow.

For many generations this Tuesday before Ash Wednesday was a time when Christians finished whatever fatty meats or cheese or butter they might have left in their larder. As a result it came to be known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras in French. It could be a great mid-winter feast. Along much of the Mediterreanean - and cultures with colonial ties to the Mediterreanean - Fat Tuesday is the conclusion of a long season of Carnival.

In less exuberant cultures this is also known as Shrove Tuesday. Shrove is an archaic term for absolution. Traditionally this is a day for confession, absolution, and celebrating the love, abundance, and delights of God.