ASH WEDNESDAY: THE CURTAIN-RAISER OF LENT
Ash Wednesday Signifies and marks The beginning of The Catholic Season of lent, which is a time of self-denial, moderation, fasting, and the forsaking of sinful activities and habits. Ash Wednesday commences this period of spiritual discipline. It is one of the most important holy days in the Catholic liturgical calendar and it opens a season of fasting and prayer.
Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting and significant reception of The traditional Ashes on the forehead, is the first day of Lent and involves 40 days of fasting, reflection and penance which
prepares us for Christ's resurrection at Easter.
Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday,
(40 fasting days, if the six Sundays, which are not days of fast, are excluded) and can fall as early as February 4 or as late as March 10. Ash Wednesday is observed by many Western Christians, including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, but especially Roman Catholics.
According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus Christ endured 40 days of fasting and temptation by the devil in the desert. Lent originated in honour and imitation
of this. It's origin can be traced back to the ancient Jewish tradition of Penance , fasting and (though not practised now) the wearing of sackloth. The ashes which were worn by the Jews on their heads indicated and symbolized grief, remorse for sin, repentance, humbling of one's self before the might of god and supplication for forgiveness. The ashes also symbolized the fact that We were made from dust by God, and that returning to that state of dust is our final, unavoidable destination.
Thus as the priest applies the dust to a person's forehead, he speaks the words, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return". fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter. Every Sunday was seen as a commemoration of the Sunday of Christ's resurrection and so as a feast day on which fasting was inappropriate. Accordingly, Christians fasted from Monday to Saturday (six days) during six weeks and from Wednesday to Saturday (four days) in the preceding week, thus making up the number of 40 days.[3] Orthodox do this 40 days in a row.
Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year's Palm Sunday, and placing them on the heads of participants to the accompaniment of the words "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return". Priests administer the ashes during Mass and all are invited to accept the ashes as a visible symbol of penance.
The Ashes are made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, are christened by sprinkling holy water on them and help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice.
Even non-Christians and the excommunicated are welcome to receive the ashes. The ashes are made from blessed palm branches, taken from the previous year's palm Sunday Mass.
It is important to remember that Ash Wednesday is a day of penitential prayer and fasting. Some faithful take the rest of the day off work and remain home. It is generally inappropriate to dine out, to shop, or to go about in public after receiving the ashes. Feasting is highly inappropriate.
It is not required that a person wear the ashes for the rest of the day, and they may be washed off after Mass. However, many people keep the ashes as a reminder until the evening.
Recently, movements have developed that involve pastors distributing ashes to passersby in public places. This isn't considered taboo, but Catholics should know this practice is distinctly Protestant. Catholics should still receive ashes within the context of Mass.
In some cases, ashes may be delivered by a priest or a family member to those who are sick or shut-in.
The distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance. On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms from the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins -- just as Adam was turned out of The Garden of Eden because of his disobedience. The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having won reconciliation by the toil of forty days' penance and sacramental absolution. Later, all Christians, whether public or secret penitents, came to receive ashes out of devotion. In earlier times, the distribution of ashes was followed by a penitential procession.
Ash Wednesday and Lent are observed by most Catholics and some Protestant denominations. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not observe Ash Wednesday; instead, they start Lent on “Clean Monday.”
Jesus warned us against making a show of our fasting: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen” (Matthew 6:16-18). We must not allow spiritual discipline to become spiritual pride.
It is a good thing to repent of sinful activities, but that’s something Christians should do every day, not just during Lent. It’s a good thing to clearly identify oneself as a Christian; nay, a Catholic, but, again, this should be an everyday identification.
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