Ash Wednesday
As we begin the Lenten season, we are marked with ashes for two primary reasons:
First, they are a reminder of our mortality. The words often spoken to us as we receive ashes are, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Remembering the mortality of our earthly bodies and corporeal life reminds us of the immortality of our souls, the new life promised to us in the resurrection of Christ.
Second, ashes are a sign of unity. The Lenten discipline is carried out by individua...