The
solemn period of Lent
originated as mirroring of Jesus Christ’s 40 days
of fasting in
the desert. The
first day of said period, Ash
Wednesday,
derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm
branches blessed on the previous year’s Palm Sunday, and
applying
them in the form of a cross on the foreheads of
the faithful,
accompanied by the words ‘Repent,
and believe in the Gospel’ or ‘Remember that you are dust, and to
dust you shall return’. The ashes are a symbol of penance, mourning
and mortality.
Centuries
ago, participants used to sprinkle ashes
on themselves
and repent much more publicly, but the practice fell away sometime
between the 8th-10th century,
before evolving into what it is today. There aren’t any particular
rules about how long the ashes should be worn, but most people wear
them throughout the day as a public expression of their faith and
penance. Christians continued the practice of using ashes as an
external sign of repentance. Lent is intended to be a time of
sacrifice,
moderation, fasting, and the forsaking of sinful activities and
habits. Ash Wednesday commences this period of spiritual discipline.
Jesus
Christ has warned His followers against making a show of fasting:
“When you fast, do not look sombre
as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they
are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in
full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so
that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to
your Father, who is unseen.”(Matthew 6:16-18). It is a good thing
to repent of sinful activities, but that’s something Christians
should do every day, not just during Lent.
In
the Latin Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting,
abstinence from meat, and repentance. It is a day of contemplating
one’s transgressions. The
Anglicans
also
designate Ash
Wednesday as a day of fasting. However,
in other Christian denominations,
these practices are optional, with the main focus being
on repentance.
On
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics between the ages of 18
and 59 (whose health enables them to do so) are permitted to consume
only one full meal, which may be supplemented by two smaller meals,
which together should not equal the full meal. Some Catholics will go
beyond the minimum obligations demanded by the Church and undertake a
complete fast or a bread and water fast. Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday are also days of abstinence from meat, as are all Fridays
during Lent. Some Catholics continue fasting throughout Lent as
was the Church’s traditional requirement, concluding only after the
celebration of Easter Sunday.
