ASH WEDNESDAY & THE SEASON OF LENT
Dear Friends,
The Season of Lent is soon upon us and Ash Wednesday this year falls on 22 Feb. Below are some historical facts & information regarding practices pertaining to Ash Wednesday & the Lent Season.
Ash Wednesday is not a holiday in the Eastern Church, and developed only in the West (it is neither
a holiday for Singapore & Malaysia). Orthodox Churches begin Lent on a Monday, known as “Clean Monday.”
Ash Wednesday as an official day of fasting dates to at least the 8th century, since it appears in the Gregorian Sacramentary from that period. Originally, Lent began on a Sunday.
However, in order to bring the number of days of Lent to 40 (the days Jesus fasted in the wilderness),
the beginning of Lent was eventually transferred to a Wednesday. The Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) set the date of Easter as the Sunday following the 14th day of the paschal full moon, which is the full moon whose 14th day falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox.
The reason was because that was the date of Passover in the Jewish calendar, and the Last Supper (Holy Thursday) occurred on the Passover. Therefore, Easter was the Sunday after Passover. Originally, Ash Wednesday was the day when public penitents in Rome began their penance.
Recall that in the early Church, penance was often public and protracted. It was only later that private confession and penance began, for pastoral reasons. When public penance gradually fell into disuse by the 8th century, Ash Wednesday became a day of penitence and fasting for all members of the Church.
Today, Ash Wednesday is a universal Fast day in the Catholic Church. Many Western Protestant churches also observe Ash Wednesday, including Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and United Methodists. In the Western Church, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the 40-day period of fasting before Easter.
On Ash Wednesday ashes are blessed, mixed with either holy oil or water, and placed upon the head with the sign of the cross, or sprinkled on the forehead. The ashes are made from burning palm branches blessed the previous year on Palm Sunday.
When the priest imposes the ashes he says either “remember man you are dust, and to dust you will return” (see Genesis 3:19), or “turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). The ashes serve a dual purpose. First, as the above words imply, we are reminded of our mortality and humanity as we begin the Lenten Fast. Second, the ashes are a Biblical symbol of repentance, sorrow, and humility.
There are many cases in the Scriptures of wearing ashes as a sign of penitence, often while wearing sackcloth. In 2 Samuel 13:19, Tamar puts on ashes and tears her clothes as a sign of sadness and repentance. In Esther 4:1-3, after learning of the king’s decree to kill all Jews, Mordecai tears his garments, and puts on sackcloth and ashes.
His fellow Jews do the same thing, as well as beginning to fast. The prophet Jeremiah (6:26) urges his
readers to “gird on sackcloth and roll in ashes.”
Fasting is a major component of Ash Wednesday, and Ash Wednesday is an official fast day of the
Church, along with Good Friday. Fasting has a long history in the Church. In Acts 13:1-3, it was while “worshipping the Lord and fasting” that the Holy Spirit led the Apostles to set apart Paul and Barnabas for their work. In Matthew 9:14, Jesus assumes that after he leaves the earth his followers will fast.
The history of the Church is filled with stories of fasting and its spiritual value. However, Jesus warns us not to be obvious about our fasting, or only fasting to impress others. Thus, Ash Wednesday is based
on the biblical concept of repentance, and the ashes and fasting that are associated with repentance.
The minimum the Catholic Church expects is fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstinence on the Fridays of Lent. Fasting means eating only one full meatless meal on that day. However, one may still eat a breakfast and even a lunch in addition to a full meal if the two additional small meals do not add up to a second full meal. Snacking is not allowed.
Drinking coffee, tea, juices, etc, between meals is permitted on fast days. Abstinence requires abstaining from meat, and soups and gravies made from meat, for the entire day. Meat is defined as the “flesh meat of warm-blooded animals.”
This is the reason why Catholics often eat fish on Fridays, but anything meatless works. The requirements are slightly different for those of certain ages. Fasting is only required of those from ages 18-59, and abstinence is required of all people 14 and older, although parents are expected to teach their children the reasons behind their fasting, etc. Those with health conditions are excluded.
These are simply the minimum expectations. Additional forms of self-denial, within reason, can also be spiritually beneficial.
Have a fruitful Lent!