Get Ready for Ash Wednesday!

On Ash Wednesday, we are invited “in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance, by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; . . .” (BCP, p. 265)

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the forty days of Lent. Blessed ashes, obtained by burning the palms used on the previous Palm Sunday, are placed on the foreheads of worshipers in the shape of a cross.

Ash Wednesday and the liturgy of this day, can evoke for us reminders of the things that are important. It tells us to not take a moment of this time for granted, to live and love to the fullest, to treasure this precious world, and to treasure those we love and those who love us. It is a day to remember that God loves us so much as to make sacrifices for us when we are unable to do so ourselves. It is a day to allow God in Christ to forgive us so that we might live the residue of our lives reflecting the very love that God has for us and for all of creation. It is a day that we may remind ourselves with great humility to love God and love all others.