Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and I thought I might send round an email explaining what Ash Wednesday was for those who aren’t aware (until last year I certainly wasn’t aware even of the importance of the day) but on doing the reading, I found it was a bit dry and felt the need to offer a some reflection as well so I blogged instead. Well, the dry bit:

The use of Ash in the Church has always been associated with penance, and in fact this association is not limited to the church:

“men who repented of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed themselves in sackcloth”.
Ćlfric, Anglos-Saxon homilist, speaking of all men not just those of faith.

Penance: The feeling of sorrow for ones sins and the seeking of Divine forgiveness, typically through acts of spiritual dedication.
Homilist: Someone who writes spiritual reflections.



The words “remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” are commonly used as the ashes are imposed on the foreheads of those attending services. These words recall our transient existence in this mortal world calling us into a period of spiritual reflection and self-examination during Lent.

I know this may sound a bit depressing and full of self-abasement but I find Ash Wednesday a very moving experience. To come before the Lord in acknowledgement of my broken state and knowing that I so often don’t live up to the promises of Christ is a very humbling and emotional experience. The repentance isn’t the primary thought, however. It is the promises of Christ which enlighten and add depth: coming before the Lord is done very much in the realisation of God’s immense love for all humanity; declared in Our Lord’s sacrifice upon the cross, a moment celebrated minutes later in the Eucharist. Therefore coming for an “ashing” in light of this supreme act of love, brings so many more emotions into play which I am having difficulty in communicating, but which last year brought a tear to my eye and the deep desire to reciprocate that love.