Ash Wednesday: Significance And How To Make Good Use Of It
Ash Wednesday is the first of day of the Lenten season in the Church calendar. It is 40days excluding Sundays which is not included because it is the day of the Lord’s resurrection(Lord’s day) from Easter Sunday. The number “40” is a special number in Christiandom which also correlates with the number of days Christ spent in the wilderness. This day is usually marked by Episcopal/Orthodox churches with Mass/Service. It is a solemn day not a feast hence it is WRONG to say “Happy Ash Wednesday”. SIGNIFICANCE Ash gotten from burning last year’s palm fronds is usually applied on the foreheads of the faithful on this day. It signifies the following: 1. Act of mourning: in biblical Jewish practice,a sinner pours ash on his body and puts on sack Cloth to seek the forgiveness on God (Jonah 3:5-6). Likewise on this day we mourn our going away from God’s commands and seek his forgiveness. That is why the Priest/deacon when putting the ashes says the words “Repent, and believe in the