Ash Wednesday |
Ash Wednesday commences 46 days before Easter Sunday and is the official beginning of Lent. The Ash Wednesday service is a day of repentance and fasting, Ash Wednesday consists of a ritual where a priest applies ash in the shape of a cross on the observers' foreheads, traditionally the ash is not meant to be washed off rather it remains on the observers' forehead until it has worn off. This practice of applying ash to the forehead represents the gravity of our sin and repentance.
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Fasting and Abstinence |
Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter in which Catholics fast, contemplate, pray and engage in spiritual self discipline. Catholics choose to do this over Easter as it is when we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. Fasting is a biblical discipline, Christ expected His disciples to fast and also gave instructions on how to do so. We following this pattern by holding a partial fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
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