By Timothy Ojo
Christians worldwide, Wednesday, began a 40-day fast that usually culminates in Easter, the most important event in the Christian faith wherein Jesus Christ was crucified, and rose, for the redemption of mankind.
The day was marked by solemn worship services in some Christian denominations, kick-starting what is popularly known as the Lent.
In Christian churches worldwide, Lent, a period of penitential preparation for Easter, begins on Ash Wednesday, usually six and a half weeks before Easter, and provides for a 40-day fast (Sundays are excluded), imitating Jesus Christ‘s fasting in the wilderness before he began his earthly ministry.
What is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday, though not a holiday, is like the door to a plethora of holidays that are all aimed at the spiritual rejuvenation and renewal of adherents in the redemption work that Jesus came to do.
Ash Wednesday was derived from the ashes, otherwise known as repentance ashes, usually applied on the foreheads to either translate the “Repent and believe the Gospel” or “From dust you have come to dust will you return to” dictums in the Christian faith. It is a day set aside for repentance and to commence the Lenten season, emulating the 40 days of fasting undergone by Jesus Christ.
Though on paper, Lent or fasting is for 40 days, Ash Wednesday is exactly 46 days before Easter Sunday. What this means is that it varies every year. For instance, while this year’s Ash Wednesday falls on today, February 26, last year’s fell on March 6. Next year, 2012, would fall on February 17. That of 2022 would be different also.
In essence, there is no fixed date for the day, unlike the bigger religious holidays and political holidays that have fixed dates.
According to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, the history of Ash Wednesday dates back to several centuries ago. Ever since then, it has become a practice for the Christian religion and its adherents. It must be noted that it is observed by Anglicans, Catholics in the Roman Rite, Lutherans, Methodists, Moravians, Nazarenes, Independent Catholics, as well as by many from the Reformed faith.
Ash Wednesday is marked as a day set aside for separation, just as Jesus did in the desert, fasting and praying all the way. The ashes signify grief, sorrow and repentance, as repeatedly stated in the scriptures, where biblical characters were mentioned to wear ashes and sackcloth to show remorse or grief.
In today’s practice, the Ash Wednesday is marked by scribbling the mark of the cross on the forehead with ash. The ashes are gotten from the burnt palm fronds from the last Palm Sunday. The inscription on the forehead of the mark of the cross is done by the priest in charge. This is usually done in public, and people who wear them are usually encouraged to wear them publicly. The insignia, as it were, implies that the person sporting the cross has decided to set that day aside from food and water. In fact, abstinence is strongly preached on this day.
In simpler words, the inscription of ashes on the foreheads is a sign of external repentance.
This ceremony has had its tough times too. Way back, some schools of thoughts were totally against it. In the Mid-16th Century, there was a kerfuffle about the importance of the day, therefore, it was removed by the first book of the common prayer from the liturgy of the Church of England. This lasted for a while before the ceremony was reinstated again.
So, it is that season where you can begin to earnestly await the holidays that would come after today and to be honest, who doesn’t need days set aside to rest? Today is Ash Wednesday, are you going to fast? Or you are just taking the day in its strides? Whatever way, we have just reminded you about the meaning and significance of Ash Wednesday to the Christian faith.