Ash Wednesday – A Day of fasting and abstinence

Ash Wednesday is fast approaching, and most of us wonder why we celebrate it. We even ask ourselves, what’s really the origin of it or what’s its purpose. Why do we put ashes on our foreheads? Do we really need to fast? These are some of the questions which bother us.

Ash Wednesday can be traced back to ancient Rome. On the first day of Lent, sinners and penitents dressed in sackcloth were sprinkled with ashes to begin their period of public penance. This practice was later formalized by Pope Urban II, who decreed in 1091 that “on Ash Wednesday, everyone—clergy and laity, men and women—will receive ashes.” It has since been a day of obligatory fasting and abstinence for Catholics.

Ash Wednesday is a popular and significant holy day in the liturgical calendar. Lent, a season of fasting and prayer, begins on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday occurs 46 days before Easter Sunday and is mostly observed by Catholics, though many other Christians do as well. Ash Wednesday derives from the ancient Jewish penance and fasting tradition. Ashes are worn on the head as part of the ritual. The ashes represent the dust from which we were created by God.

Ashes were found as a sign of humility and mortality, and as a sign of sorrow and repentance for sin. The Christian connotation for ashes in the Ash Wednesday liturgy is also derived from this Old Testament biblical custom. At the Synod of Benevento in 1091, it was made universal throughout the Western church. A “cross” mark was applied to the forehead to represent the spiritual seal or mark that is applied to a Christian during baptism. When a Christian is born again, he or she is freed from the bonds of sin and made a slave of righteousness and of Christ at this point (Rom. 6:3–18).

During the Mass, priests distribute ashes, and everyone is invited to accept the ashes as a visible symbol of penance. Non-Christians and those who have been excommunicated are also welcome to receive the ashes. The ashes are made from the blessed palms used in the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. The ashes are blessed with holy water and scented with incense. While the ashes represent penance and repentance, they also serve as a reminder that God is gracious and merciful to those who come to Him with repentant hearts.

During the Lenten season, His Divine Mercy is especially important, and the Church encourages us to seek that mercy through reflection, prayer, and penance. Keep in mind that Ash Wednesday is a day of penitential prayer and fasting. Some believers take the rest of the day off work and stay at home. After receiving the ashes, it is generally inappropriate to eat out, shop, or go out in public. Feasting is completely inappropriate. This observance is not practiced by small children, the elderly, or the sick. It is not necessary for a person to wear the ashes for the rest of the day, and they may be washed off after Mass. Many people, however, keep the ashes as a reminder until the evening.

Ashes used as a sign of penance was originally a private matter of devotion. Later, it was incorporated into the formal ceremony for mending public penitents. Ashes on the repentant provided a reason for other Christians to pray for and feel compassion for him in this situation. Later still, the practice of using ashes became the traditional way to usher in Lent’s penitential season on Ash Wednesday. (Bro. Ranie Boy Pamplona)