This year’s Ash Wednesday was on Feb. 14, 2018. This date on the calendar reads Valentine’s Day, a time of romance and chocolate hearts. To all of the Catholics and some related religions, this Wednesday is the start of the 40 days of Lent.
Ash Wednesday is important because it marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. The ashes used are typically recycled palm tree branches given out during Palm Sunday.
The priest dips his finger into the ashes and brushes the Sign Of The Cross upon the forehead “to symbolize our mortality” according to Geoff Wong, a parishioner at All Saints.
Ashes are used to help people “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19
Lent is a time for Catholics to focus on prayer and “to draw closer to God and our faith in preparation of Easter Sunday” according to Wong. This tradition has gone back many centuries and is a very important time in the Catholic calendar.
According to Father Matthew O’Donnell, Pastor of All Saints University Parish, “it goes back to the old days when people would acknowledge their sinfulness by a public display of ashes upon their head so everyone would know that this was a sinner. The simple ashes upon the forehead that we place now are a reminder of our sinfulness and mortality.”
For the last five years, Father Matthew has been offering an Ash Wednesday mass on campus enclosed in the event center. As a result of the buildings remodeling, he has decided to bring the church outside to the amphitheater.
According to David Sandler, President of the Catholic Student Association, “there were approximately 130 people” that took part of this event, a fraction of the “400” O’Donnell once reached in his five years of putting this event on.
Even though they expected more to attend, the open seats were all filled and left some students standing in the back.
There was a combination of students, staff, and All Saints’ parishioners that came together to receive their ashes and the Holy Sacrament.
For the next 40 days, Catholics will fast and strive to strengthen their relationship with Jesus. With or without the ashes placed upon their heads, “you are an ambassador of Christ,” O’Donnell said. During his homily, O’Donnell looked up and said, “You lived for me, so I can live for you.”
These words will help participants go through this 40 day journey with an open heart and open mind.
–
Goeff Wong’s was erroneously attributed as Jeff. It has since been corrected.