Ash Wednesday, today [February 10th], marks the beginning of the fasting period that ends on Holy Thursday, the fifth day of Holy Week leading up to Easter.
The day usually begins at 6.30 or 7am in churches, where during services, priests apply ash on the foreheads to denote that one is dust, and to dust one shall return.
The ashes come from the burning of the palms of the previous Palm Sunday, which occurs on the Sunday before Easter. Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ return to Jerusalem, when people waved palm branches to celebrate his arrival. The ashes are mixed with holy water or oil.
The act of applying ashes on the foreheads of believers is a sign of repentance and humility. Traditionally, believers choose to leave the ashes on their foreheads for the rest of the day as a witness that all people are sinners in need of repentance, and that through Christ, all sins are forgiven, believers said.
The fasting is not bound by strict rules. It is mostly free-flowing, both fasting and sacrificing. It is a form of repentance that many Christians take upon themselves that also serves as a good form of detoxing.
The period of fasting for 40 days is mentioned on Matthew 4, where Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness praying and fasting. During this period, we acknowledge ourselves as sinners and learn how to have control over things that do not belong to God.
“During this period, believers are encouraged to focus on spiritual renewal and reflect on Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins,” says Father Stanley of the Good Shepard Church.
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Photo – A Roman Catholic priest use ash to mark a cross on the forehead of a faithful during the Ash Wednesday mass at the holy Family minor basilica parish.
