Also during this time, for those who were required to do public penance, the priest sprinkled ashes on the head of the person leaving confession. In the Middle Ages at least by the time of the eighth century , those who were about to die were laid on the ground on top of sackcloth sprinkled with ashes.
Eventually, the use of ashes was adapted to mark the beginning of Lent, the day preparation period not including Sundays for Easter. Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast. Since the Middle Ages, the Church has used ashes to mark the beginning of the penitential season of Lent, when we remember our mortality and mourn for our sins.
In our present liturgy for Ash Wednesday, we use ashes made from the burned palm branches distributed on the Palm Sunday of the previous year. All are reminded of the need for repentance. The readings for Ash Wednesday offer a number of important images that help children understand the meaning of this experience.
The first reading calls us to repentance but also emphasizes that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in kindness Joel In the second reading, Paul reminds us that the world sees the presence of Christ in the way we act.
So, be reconciled to God today! We are called to be the love and change we wish to see in the world. In the third reading, Jesus reminds us that the sacrifices and prayers called for in Lent are between God and us. It is insincere for us to show off contrite actions to win the praise of others—let others only see how our sacrifices and prayers help us love them.
Ash Wednesday begins a wonderful season of reflection and preparation. Receiving the ashes as a member of the church community helps children recognize that they are an important part of the Catholic community and are united with the Church in its Lenten preparation.
It is not required that a worshiper wear the ashes for the rest of the day, although many Christians choose to do so. However, dining out or doing non-essential shopping are considered inappropriate on Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, ashes used on Ash Wednesday are gathered up after palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned. They are then blessed before being used in the ceremony. Palms are used on Palm Sunday in many Christian churches to symbolize Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday before his crucifixion.
Residents of Jerusalem are said to have waved palm fronds to celebrate his arrival. Catholics are not supposed to eat meat on Ash Wednesday. They also are expected to give up meat on Fridays during Lent.
Catholics also are expected to fast on Ash Wednesday. Fasting means consuming only one full meal a day; two smaller meals that don't together add up to a full meal also are allowed. Children and the elderly are exempt from the fasting requirement on Ash Wednesday and during Lent.
Early Christians in Rome were sprinkled with ashes during Lent, but the Ash Wednesday practice of placing ashes on the forehead of Christians didn't begin until the Middle Ages. Ash Wednesday falls on a different day each year, because it is dependent on the date of Easter.
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