Ash Wenesday

"Ash Wednesday" by Carl Spitzweg: the end of Carnival


How many times in your life have you thought, If only I could change things/do things differently (Something I feel rather strongly this year)? Well, that's where Lent can help. Ash Wednesday serves as our wake-up call at the beginning of Lent. It is a time to identify the things we have done wrong or wish we could change or do differently. Then we can choose to do something about them during the next 40 days of Lent (a great adult alternative to "Giving Something up", which I will expand on in a later post).

The tradition of receiving ashes has its origins in the Old Testament, where sinners performed acts of public penance. It was Pope Urban II who in the 11th century recommended that all Catholics take part in the practice of receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday. In the 12th century it became customary that the ashes used on Ash Wednesday were made by burning the previous year�s palm branches.

Ash Wednesday is also a day of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. According to Church law, Catholics older than the age of 14 are supposed to abstain from meat. In addition, those between the ages of 18 and 59, not including pregnant or nursing mothers, should eat only one full meal. Smaller amounts of food not as much as a full meal (?�) may be eaten in the morning and either at lunchtime or dinner, depending on when you eat your full meal.

TomC