Ash Wednesday

The meaning of the celebration:

+ On this day the Church celebrates the “day of ashes,” marking the beginning of the 40 days of Lent.

+ “Lent” comes from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “springtime” and is both a time of penance and renewal oriented toward helping us grow in our commitment as disciples of Jesus.

+ The 40 days of Lent recall the 40 days Jesus spent praying and fasting in the wilderness, the days that Noah and his family spent on the ark following the great flood, and the 40 years the People of Israel spent in the desert before entering the Promised Land.

+ The traditional “good works” of Lent are prayer, fasting, and acts of charity (especially giving alms for the poor). Preface III of the Masses for the Season of Lent reminds us that our self-denial during this holy season is an opportunity to give thanks, to humble sinful pride, to contribute to the feeding of the poor, and to help us imitate God’s kindness.

+ The season of Lent ends on the afternoon of Holy Thursday. At that time, the Church enters the Paschal Triduum and our annual remembrance of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus.

For prayer and reflection:

“This Lent, God is asking us to examine whether in our lives, in our families, in the places where we work and spend our time, we are capable of walking together with others, listening to them, resisting the temptation to become self-absorbed and to think only of our own needs.”—Pope Francis, Message for Lent 2025

Prayer

Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting
this campaign of Christian service,
so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils,
we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal)