Penitence

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Ash Wednesday

From the liturgical point of view, this is one of the most important days of the year. In the first place, this day opens the liturgical season of Lent, which formerly began with the First Sunday and comprised only thirty-six days. The addition of Wednesday and the three following days brought the number to forty, which is that of the Lord's fast in the desert.

In the Old Law, ashes were generally a symbolic expression of grief, mourning, or repentance. In the Early Church, the use of ashes had a like signification and with sackloth formed part of the public penances. The blessing of the ashes was originally instituted for public penitents, but is now intended for all Christians, as Lent should be a time of penance for all.

The ashes used this day are obtained by burning palms of the previous year. They are blessed in the Traditional Latin Liturgy by four ancient prayers, sprinkled with holy water and incensed, and then placed in the form of the Cross on the forehead of the faithful with the words in Latin: Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris (Remember, man, that thou art dust, and into dust thou shalt return - Gen. 3.19).

...Thou art dust, and into dust thou shalt return: "We are drawn from nothing by the creative power of God, by His infinite love which willed to communicate His being and His life to us, but we cannot - because of sin - be reunited with Him for eternity without passing through the dark reality of death: consequence and punishment of sin." - Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, C.D.