Ash Wednesday is the first day of the
season of Lent. It is called Ash Wednesday because of the
ceremony of placing ashes on the forehead as a sign of penitence. This custom was
probably introduced by Pope Gregory I in 1091 A.D., and is in line with Old Testament
ways of signifying mourning and guilt.
"And the LORD said: 'Go through the
city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark upon the foreheads of those who sigh and groan
over all the abominations that are committed in it'" (Ezekiel 9:4).
Many churches obtain the ashes from burning the palm
branches of the previous year's Palm Sunday observance.
The pastor places the ashes on the foreheads of the people along with the words:
"Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return." It is a way of
emphasizing our sorrow and repentance over our sin. |
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