Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of penance and interior renewal that prepares us for the celebration of Easter. For forty days, the Church’s liturgy continually invites us to purify our hearts and begin again. The first reading expresses this call with clarity and urgency:
Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the LORD, your God. (Joel 2: 12-14)
The Lord calls us to detach ourselves from earthly distractions in order to return to Him. He asks us to leave behind sin—which ages and ultimately destroys the soul—and to return to the Source of life and joy.
This is the conversion that begins each Ash Wednesday.
That is why, as the priest traces the sign of the cross on our foreheads with ashes, he says:
Repent and believe in the Gospel.
To repent means more than feeling regret. It means being willing to take concrete steps to live as God calls us to live. It means being honest with ourselves, refusing to serve two masters, loving God with our whole heart, and turning away from deliberate sin.
True conversion requires a heart that is sincere and firmly rooted in the Lord. And it must take place in the midst of ordinary, daily circumstances.
If you want to begin Lent in the best possible way, enter into it with a spirit of recollection. Take time for reflection. Participate in the liturgy of Ash Wednesday. Let this day become a real beginning.
When does Lent begin?
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday, before the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The specific dates change each year because they depend on the date of Easter, which is not fixed on the calendar.
The beginning of Lent is marked by Ash Wednesday, the day on which the faithful receive the imposition of ashes as a sign of conversion and penance. From that moment on, the Church begins a time of spiritual preparation that extends for forty days.
Lent does not include the entire Holy Week. Liturgically, it concludes on Holy Thursday afternoon, when the Easter Triduum begins. Therefore, although many people associate Lent with the entire Holy Week, these are distinct liturgical moments.
Why Does Lent Begin on a Wednesday?
Lent begins on a Wednesday because it needs to symbolically complete 40 days of preparation before Easter, and for that number to be exact, it must begin before the first Lenten Sunday.
Lent is modeled after the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public life. However, Sundays are not counted as strict penitential days, because every Sunday is always a celebration of the Resurrection. Therefore, if Lent were to begin on a Sunday, the 40 effective days of penance would not be completed. For this reason, so that the count reaches 40, the Lenten season begins four days before the first Sunday of Lent: Ash Wednesday. This way, the symbolic number of 40 days (not counting Sundays) is reached until Holy Thursday.
What is the Meaning of the Ash Cross on the Forehead?
The Spiritual Meaning of Ashes
Ashes remind us of a fundamental truth: we are absolutely dependent on God, our Creator. This symbol evokes the Genesis account. On the one hand, the creation in which the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground. And on the other, the sentence after original sin:
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you will return! (Gen 3:19)
This awareness of what we are (dust) is not intended to cause despair, but, on the contrary, to move us to repentance and humility. Although we are earthen vessels, weak and sinful, Jesus has come to redeem us through his Passion and Death. Therefore, ashes are a symbol of death that, paradoxically, points towards life; it is the recognition of personal misery in the face of the immensity of divine mercy.
What Does the Bible Say About the Ash Cross?
The use of ashes as an expression of man’s inner attitude towards God appears in numerous passages of the Old Testament and with various meanings. In ancient Judaism, covering oneself with ashes was a natural sign of mourning and an established penitential rite.
Faced with King Ahasuerus’ decree to exterminate all Jews, the people wore sackcloth and covered themselves with ashes:
When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. He went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it.
In every province, wherever the king’s edict and order arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and lamenting. And sackcloth and ashes were spread out for many. (Esther 4:1-3)
When the prophet Jonah, by God’s command, announced that Nineveh would be destroyed, the Ninevites and their king did penance to obtain divine mercy.
The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. (Jonah 3:5-6)
In the New Testament, although Jesus warns against ostentatious penance to be seen by men, he does not invalidate external practices, but demands that they be a reflection of a true desire for conversion.
The Ash Wednesday liturgy integrates these two dimensions: the visible sign of ashes and the demand for an upright intention that only God sees in secret.
What is Burned on Ash Wednesday?
An aspect of profound symbolic richness is that the ashes used come from the burning of the olive branches or palms blessed on Palm Sunday of the previous year.
This practice links the beginning of the new Lent with the end of the preceding Holy Week, reminding us that apparent triumph (Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem) and his redemptive humiliation (the Passion) are inseparable parts of the same mystery.
The transformation of the palm into ashes recalls the fleeting nature of human glory.
The Rite of Imposition of Ashes
The blessing and imposition of ashes ordinarily takes place within Mass, after the homily.
The priest, after blessing the ashes with holy water, imposes them on the foreheads of the faithful, tracing a cross, or sprinkles them on the head according to local custom.
During the imposition, the minister pronounces one of two authorized formulas:
- “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15): This formula emphasizes the need for conversion and active adherence to Jesus’ message.
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19): This formula highlights human fragility and the need for God in the face of death.
To facilitate the participation of the faithful in communities where there is no priest to celebrate Holy Mass, the Church permits and recommends the blessing and imposition of ashes outside the Eucharist, provided it is done by a deacon and during a Liturgy of the Word.
Ashes are Sacramentals
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1670), sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the manner of the sacraments, but by the prayer of the Church, they dispose the faithful to cooperate with it.
- You may be interested in: The Lenten rites of preparation for adult Baptism
The Call to Conversion
With the imposition of ashes on the forehead, the Church invites us to conversion. This is not merely an external change in behavior, but a radical reorientation of the heart towards God. It implies dying to ourselves, to our pride, selfishness, and desire to do our own will, which separate us from the Lord and lead us astray from the path to Heaven.
Jesus invites us to follow him in this holy season, denying ourselves and taking up our cross:
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? (Matthew 16:24-26a)
Por ello, es fundamental comenzar la Cuaresma con un examen de conciencia sincero ante el Señor sobre todos los aspectos de nuestra vida. And from what we observe, ask the Holy Spirit for His assistance and grace to change what God wants us to change.
Conversion implies a dying, but we know that every death in Christ entails a glorious resurrection with Him. Conversion is nourished by the hope of resurrection. We die to ourselves to unite more closely with Jesus and live a new life, renewed by his grace. Saint Paul encourages us:
If we died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. (2 Timothy 2:11-12)
Let us not despair if we find many flaws, sins, and errors when examining ourselves. On the contrary, let us trust in the Lord, who suffered to save us and who longs most to be close to us, that we may be happy and go to Heaven to live forever with Him.
How to Fast on Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday is a day of strictly penitential character, which translates into two specific obligations outlined in the Code of Canon Law: fasting and abstinence.
What’s the difference? Abstinence consists of not eating meat from warm-blooded animals (red meat, poultry). Fish and seafood are permitted. All faithful aged 14 and older are obliged to practice it.
Meanwhile, fasting consists of having only one full meal a day. Two light snacks may be taken, provided they do not add up to another full meal. All adults up to 59 years of age must fast.
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only two days of the year when both fasting and abstinence are required together.
There are reasons that excuse from these obligations, mainly related to health and work. Sick people, frail elderly, pregnant or nursing women, and those engaged in strenuous physical labor are exempt from the law of fasting and abstinence.
In these cases, the faithful are encouraged to substitute food deprivation with other forms of penance or actions, such as more intense prayer or concrete acts of charity.
How to Live Ash Wednesday Well?
We can use Ash Wednesday to draw up a concrete plan for spiritual life for the Lent that begins. The important thing is that our goals are few and realistic. We must foster in our souls a deep and effective desire to return, like the prodigal son, to the Lord. Here are some ideas:
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Choose a small and constant daily mortification. From getting up on time, stopping eating a sweet or shutting up if you usually respond in a bad way.
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Intensify prayer. Take the opportunity to pray the Stations of the Cross, meditate on the Lord’s Passion or the sorrows of His Most Holy Mother. You can also choose a biblical text and do Lectio Divina, such as the Gospels of the Last Supper or the Passion.
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Practice a concrete act of almsgiving. And if you cannot due to financial reasons. be generous with your time to those who need you.
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Review which aspects of life need conversion and seek advice from a priest to grow in virtue, overcome a fault, or improve aspects of your temperament.
Remember that during Lent, the Lord grants particular graces reserved for this liturgical season. Let us ask for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin to live it as God expects us to. If we have a postponed decision, now is the time to make it. If we believe our faults are beyond remedy, now is the time to fight against them and correct them. It is the favorable time, the time of salvation, a time of mercy and sanctification.
Want to live Lent with devotion? Here are some articles that may help you do so:
- What is Lent and why does it last 40 days?: Discover what Lent is, why it lasts 40 days, when it begins, and how to live this liturgical season with its beautiful spiritual practices.
What is the meaning of Ash Wednesday?
It represents the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of purification and preparation for Easter.
What should be done on Ash Wednesday?
It is a day of prayer, repentance, and spiritual renewal.
What is burned for Ash Wednesday?
The ashes are obtained from burning the olive branches or palms that were blessed on Palm Sunday of the previous year.
How is the Ash Wednesday fast observed?
It consists of having only one full meal a day (which is not red meat). Two light snacks (morning and evening) are allowed, provided they do not add up to another full meal.
What are the rituals of Ash Wednesday?
The central rite is the blessing and imposition of ashes, which usually occurs after the homily.
Is it possible to wash on Ash Wednesday?
Yes. Although there is no mandatory minimum time to wear the ashes, and it is encouraged to keep them as a testimony of faith, it is possible to wash one’s forehead if decorum or professional obligations require it, without affecting the spiritual validity of the act.
What does the Bible say about the ash cross on the forehead?
The Bible does not specifically mention an “ash cross,” but it does provide the basis for the use of ashes as a sign of mourning, humility, and repentance.
What is the meaning of ashes on the forehead?
It is a symbol of human transience (“remember that you are dust”), of the condition of a sinner, and of the plea for God’s help.
What does the priest say when you receive ashes?
The minister pronounces one of these two formulas: “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15) or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19).
What do you say when you receive the ash cross on your forehead?
There is no established answer or mandatory action for the faithful. It is a moment intended for silent meditation on the words spoken by the minister. You can answer “Amen”.
What is the spiritual power of ashes?
Ashes are a “sacramental,” not a sacrament. They do not confer grace by themselves, but, through the prayer of the Church, they prepare and dispose the faithful to cooperate with divine grace and facilitate the path of conversion.
