Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the forty-day Lenten season that leads up to Easter. On this day, Catholics go to Mass and receive the ashes on their foreheads, in the sign of the cross. This practice symbolizes repentance and humility, and is accompanied by fasting as well. In the morning, I went to Mass before my classes and received the ashes on my face. Two of my good friends also attended the same Mass and are in my nursing classes too. We all showed up to school with a cross of ashes on our foreheads, and while some gave us strange glances, most people seemed content that this is what "those crazy Catholics do." I love being able to receive the ashes in the morning because then you get to walk around all day... in addition to its symbolism, it gives you a sense of community when you see other Catholics with ashes on their foreheads, and it can spark interest in you and your faith by people unfamiliar with the custom. I had so many people ask me what this was all about, and I took each one as an opportunity to share a little bit about my faith.
One frequent question was "So, what are you giving up for Lent?" While I am giving up a couple of things, I am also adding things to my daily prayer life. For some reason though, I don't really like when people compare what they're giving up because I feel it defeats the purpose. Just read yesterday's gospel (Mt 6:1-6, 16-18) and you'll understand why.
If you're curious about Ash Wednesday, or the Lenten season, or anything else Catholic, visit the US Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://www.usccb.org/lent/
Trust me, it's cool stuff! :0)
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