Ash Wednesday Observances
Roman Catholic clergy, including Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, the archbishop of Los Angeles, placed ashes on the foreheads of the penitent as part of Ash Wednesday observances followed in Christian churches throughout the world this week.
The day marked the beginning of 40 days of Lent--a season of penitence, prayer, self-examination and fasting. The sign of the cross was made with ashes on the foreheads of believers as a reminder that they are mortal. In Christian practice, Lent is a time of spiritual preparation preceding the observance of Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter.
Lent is also a time when converts to the faith were prepared for baptism, and historically it is when those who had been separated from the church by “notorious sins” were reconciled.
While the Roman Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran churches have always observed Ash Wednesday, a growing number of local congregations in other denominations, including the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), also observe the day.
The 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, not counting Sundays, were chosen because of New Testament accounts that said Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the wilderness.
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