Understanding Ash Wednesday and Lent: A Journey of Reflection, Fasting, and Faith

The celebration of Ash Wednesday heralds the first day of the 6-week period of Lent in the Christian calendar, Lent concludes in the Holy Week of Easter next month.

On Ash Wednesday, ashes made from Palm crosses are blessed and used to make crosses on the foreheads of people attending church services during the day or in the evening.

The Poet T S Eliot, in his poem ‘Ash Wednesday’ makes a lovely prayer – “Teach us to sit still / Even among these rocks.” Eliot’s rocks might be, for us, the things that hold us back or knock us down. The call of Lent is to sit among them, to pray about those situations rather than flee from them. Ash Wednesday, in a real way, is love on the rocks and love among the ruins (the ashes).

Lent is a Forty-day period starting, this year on Wednesday 5 March and finishing at Easter. It is a time to commemorate the 40 days and nights that Jesus spent in the desert fasting while facing trials and temptations, preparing for his life of ministry. Through prayer, mortifying the flesh, repentance of sins, doing charitable works and self-denial it is a time of preparation for Easter. Through this journey Christians hope to develop a closer relationship with God, remembering the love that God, through Jesus gave to all, it is a time for spiritual renewal and a reminder to refocus your life, beliefs, and behaviours.

What and Why

Globally there are several thousand Christian denominations and, although for most, Lent is a period of high importance, each denomination and even individual may choose to observe Lent in their own way. Wednesday 5 March is Ash Wednesday, it marks the start of Lent, and many will spend the day in prayer and fasting, some will attend Church to receive their ashes. which is made by burning the palms from the previous Palm Sunday.

Some will fast for periods of Lent, some will stop something important to them, some will go without a certain type of food for the entire period. All will pray and look at increasing their charitable activities and spend time self-reflecting. If in doubt ask your Christian colleagues what they are doing to mark Lent, take the time to learn in order that you can show support and understanding.

The eagle eyed may have noticed that the Lent period is longer than 40 days, this is because Sundays are not counted. As Christ’s resurrection is celebrated on a Sunday, for Christians, all Sundays are seen as a day of happiness, a day of rejoicing, although some will choose to observe an element of the Lent principles.

I hope this has increased your understanding of Lent and what it means to Christians, I will observe Lent this year by going without potatoes and potato products, it may not sound like much to some but for me it will make sure I have plenty of opportunities to be reminded of what Jesus gave up.

Many blessings and good wishes to you this Lent.