Ash Wednesday Marks the Beginning of Lent
Ash Wednesday marks the first day of lent among Roman Catholics which occurs 46 days before Easter.
The Catholic tradition was based from the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, where Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, during which he endured temptation by Satan. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this 40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting.
Today, February 22, Catholics are being called to repent for the sins that they have committed and promise they would become better Christians in observance of Ash Wednesday.
As a symbolic gesture, ashes in cross signs are placed on the foreheads of the devout Catholic as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered after the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned.
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