What is the meaning of Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday gives Catholics the opportunity to repent in order to live the forty days and accompany Jesus in the Passion, Death to reach the Easter of Resurrection.

The sign of the ashes that is signed on the forehead of the faithful is synonymous with “conversion” or “penance”. Penance must be interpreted as a change of mentality, as an expression of free and positive effort in following Christ.

With Ash Wednesday they start the 40 days in which the Church calls the faithful to conversion and to truly prepare to live the mysteries of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ in Holy Week.

Ash Wednesday is a celebration contained in the Roman Missal. This explains that at Mass the ashes made from the palms blessed on Palm Sunday of the previous year are blessed and imposed on the foreheads of the faithful.

Ash is a symbol of humility and reminds the Christian of his origin and his end: “God formed man with the dust of the earth” (Gn 2,7); “until you return to the earth, for from it you were made” (Gn 3,19), according to the passages recounted in Genesis.

The ash that is imposed on the forehead of the faithful is produced with the palms of Palm Sunday of the previous year. For the ceremony, the remains of the blessed palms must be burned, then they are sprinkled with holy water and then flavored with incense.

The ashes are imposed on the forehead, making the sign of the cross with them while the minister says the biblical words: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return”, or “Convert and believe in the Gospel”.

obligatory fast

Additionally, the Catholic Church calls believers to observe fasting and abstinence, on a mandatory basis, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, for those over 18 and under 60. Outside those limits it is optional. That day the faithful can have a “strong” meal only once a day.

Abstinence from eating meat is mandatory from the age of 14. All Fridays of Lent are also of obligatory abstinence. (I)