Ash Wednesday Mass will be at 12:10 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi in Brookhaven. and 5:30 p.m. But many people may not know what Ash Wednesday is, and why residents of Lincoln County can be seen with ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. According to Kelly Givens of Christianity.com and Crosswalk.com, it is intended to focus the Christian’s heart on repentance and prayer, usually through personal and communal confession.
Friar John Paul Mary, a presenter on the Catholic cable channel EWTN, suggests that Catholics go to Confessions closer to Ash Wednesday, at or near the end of Lent. “If we want to end well, we have to start well,” he said.
Lent begins 46 days before Easter Sunday. The 40-day season – not counting Sundays – is marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. The length represents the time of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, as recorded in the Gospels in the New Testament.
The observance of Ash Wednesday is usually observed in a Catholic Mass or Lutheran worship service, although some other non-Catholic (Protestant) Christian denominations or churches also observe it.
The mood of the service is usually solemn, with long periods of silence and reflection. After a period of individual confession and prayer, the congregation is invited to receive ashes on their foreheads, which are administered by a priest or chaplain in the shape of a cross. The minister will say something like, “You have come from the soil and will return to the soil.”
The ashes are typically prepared by burning palm branches from the previous Sunday, Palm Sunday when churches celebrate the Gospel account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem before his crucifixion and resurrection.
“When we come forward to receive the ashes on Ash Wednesday, we are saying that we are sorry for our sins and that we use the season of Lent to rectify our mistakes, to purify our hearts, to control our desires.” and to grow in holiness so that we will be ready to celebrate Easter with great joy, according to CatholicSpirit.com.
Although its origins are unclear, the practice of Lent was formalized at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.
Important Dates for Lent 2023
Ash Wednesday, February 22
Palm Sunday, April 2
Holy Week, April 2–8
Maundy Thursday, April 6
Good Friday, April 7th
Easter (Resurrection) Sunday, April 9