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. - Joel 2:12-13
Ash Wednesday is a Catholic celebration that marks the beginning of Lent. It comes from an ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head that symbolize the dust from which God made us.
This year, it will be on the 26th of February. Corpus Christi School students and families attend mass on Ash Wednesday, along with the Corpus Christi Parish community. Everyone is invited to attend; even non-Christians are welcome to receive the ashes.
The ashes are made from the burned palm branches distributed on Palm Sunday of the previous year. The palms burned are blessed and that blessing is shared to everyone on Ash Wednesday with a small cross administered on the forehead of each person. As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." It isn’t required that you keep the ashes on your forehead all day, but many choose to do so.
Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday, and is chiefly observed by Catholics, although many other Christians observe it too. It is intended to represent the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. Traditionally, extra shopping and dining out is frowned upon during Ash Wednesday. Students and their families will be encouraged to avoid eating meat on Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, and each Friday of Lent in response to Jesus’s sacrifices for us. Feasting is also considered inappropriate; small children, the elderly and sick are exempt from this observance.
Ashes also symbolize grief, that we have sinned and caused division from God. We mourn and do penance for our sins. We again convert our hearts to the Lord, who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation. We renew the promises made at our baptism, when we died to an old life and rose to a new life with Christ.
We would like to end our post with a children’s Lenten prayer, below, that we would like to share with our Corpus Christi School Family and Community. Together, let us reflect on what Ash Wednesday represents for us, Catholics, but also as individuals as we continue to grow our relationship with God.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for giving Your life for me and for everyone in the world.
You fasted for 40 days in the desert, and I want to remember Your sacrifice during this time by doing the following: __________.
Please help me to do this out of love for You,
And help me in my hour of need.
Amen.