In the 5th century B. These Old Testament examples evidence both a recognized practice of using ashes and a common understanding of their symbolism. The early Church continued the usage of ashes for the same symbolic reasons. In his book, De Poenitentia , Tertullian c. Athanasius all seem to have written about Lent during their ministries.
As far as the exact rules and practices of Lent, those have changed over the years. The Eastern church also restricts the use of wine, oil, and dairy products. In the West, these fasting rules have gradually been relaxed. Catholic, Orthodox, and many but not all Protestants appreciate and observe Lent. The Bible commands a lifestyle of worship and devotion that looks considerably like Lent. Therefore, while the word is absent in the Bible, the reality of Lent is woven throughout the whole of Scripture, as we have discovered.
In his Gospel Coalition article Evangelicals Embracing and Rejecting Lent , Trevin Wax gives us an important reminder regardless of whether we personally observe Lent:. Lent — being either for or against — can become a way of climbing up on to the pedestal. Lord, Holy One, have mercy on us. We confess our sins to you. We have fallen short of your glory and without your mercy and grace, we would be dust. We repent now. When receiving ashes on their foreheads, parishioners hear the words : "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
On Ash Wednesday, the saying is a reminder to be humble in the face of mortality. The first Ash Wednesday ceremonies were likely held sometime in 11th century CE. It's never mentioned in the Bible, but there is a verse in the Book of Daniel that links fasting to ashes, and some scholars believe this is the origin of the Lenten practice.
Ash Wednesday didn't gain mainstream popularity with Christians in the U. The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are surprisingly eco-friendly. On Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, many churches pass out palm fronds like those used to welcome Jesus Christ to Jerusalem days before his crucifixion.
Some churches save those palms to burn them and make the ashes that are applied to peoples' foreheads roughly 11 months later. Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting. Covecrest is more than a retreat center and summer camp. Covecrest is a community of Catholics committed to transforming teens, transforming parishes, and transforming culture. Will you join us? Hidden Lake is home to an incredible Catholic community, gorgeous views, welcoming meeting spaces and so much more.
Dedicated to leading teens closer to Christ, we hope you'll be welcomed home to Hidden Lake soon. The Steubenville Youth Conferences, an outreach of Franciscan University of Steubenville, are a series of 24 conferences across North America that help teens encounter the love of Christ every summer.
Each summer, Life Teen hosts several Steubenville Youth Conferences with the hopes of strengthening and inspiring teens and youth groups in their collective journeys to Christ. Downloadable discussion questions and activities accompany each session, as well, to ensure that your leaders not only see and hear the training but distill it down to practical and foundational steps they can implement within your parish youth ministry programs.
There are many women who are a vital part of salvation history and their stories are critical parts of Sacred Scripture. This scriptural devotion will inspire young women to raise their heads along with Mary, Martha, Lydia, and Esther and look into the eyes of Jesus, the God who loves deeply and perfectly.
You are going to make thousands of decisions today and one of them might change your life. Are you confident that what you want and what God want are the same thing? Life Teen strengthens our teens' Catholic identity, while rooting them firmly in Christ and in His Church.
Every year someone says that to me on Ash Wednesday.
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