Every year on Ash Wednesday, I have the opportunity to say these words to each member of my parish as I mark their foreheads with ashes and we begin our journey through the Lenten season together. I love this moment — it sets each person apart from their worldly distractions and marks them as united in our Christianity.
Lent never fails to offer an important opportunity for renewal; it’s a time, as Catholics, when we can reflect on our lives and ready our hearts for the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In light of that, I’d like to share a little more about what Ash Wednesday means to me and offer some suggestions on how Catholics can make the most of their Lenten observance.
In Daniel 9:3, we read, “Then I turned to the Lord God, to seek an answer by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” This beautiful imagery of turning to the Lord in prayer, fasting and ashes is repeated several times in the Old Testament.
Though we encourage all members of the faith to attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, it’s not actually a holy day of obligation.
What?
Yes, you heard me right. Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation. While holy days of obligation are set aside (or consecrated) for the resurrection, Ash Wednesday alternatively invites us to reflect on our earthly death.
So when you attend Mass on Ash Wednesday and hear these solemn words spoken over you, know you are part of the Body of Christ, set apart to remember your own frailty and earthly sufferings. Often my prayers on this day focus on those facing great challenges and hardships in our world. At Cross Catholic Outreach, our ministry partners work to uplift the poor and suffering in communities worldwide, honoring Christ in the poor and acknowledging in them our shared humanity.
RELATED: Read more about how our donors are blessing families in rural Guatemala.
During the weeks that follow Ash Wednesday, we are called to pray, fast and give alms. These Catholic Lenten practices help us grow closer to God and deepen our faith. Through these actions, the Church guides us to renewal in Christ, preparing our hearts and minds for the risen Lord.
Through prayer, we are able to deepen our relationship with Christ. By offering our petitions and thanks to the Lord, we draw closer to him. (Let our staff at Cross Catholic Outreach pray with you by submitting your prayer intentions here.)
Through fasting, we are freed from self-centeredness. On fasting days, Catholics eat either one meal or two smaller meals that don’t equal a single full meal. Ash Wednesday is one of only two days on the liturgical calendar when we are called to fast; the other is Good Friday.
Finally, through almsgiving, we give of ourselves to unite with those in need and share Christ’s merciful love with the poor. This is a call that we take very personally at Cross Catholic Outreach, committing ourselves daily to uplifting and serving the poorest of the poor.
RELATED: Read more about our history at Cross Catholic Outreach.
This year, on Ash Wednesday, as you receive the sign of the cross on your forehead, I encourage you to let it mark your heart as well. May it be an inspiration and a reminder to spend this Lent drawing nearer to Jesus through prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
As we begin this solemn sojourn together, please join me in praying: “Lord, renew my heart so that I may renew the world around me, in this Lenten season and beyond. I ask all through your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
This year, I invite you to consider how your Lenten observances can translate to share the Lord’s love with the world. At Cross Catholic Outreach, we pursue this mission through projects that build wells in Africa, provide safe homes in Haiti, feed hungry children and families worldwide, and much more. Our Easter Catalog offers great opportunities to give alms and bless lives this season.
God bless you as you use this time of personal renewal to grow in God’s sacrificial love and share it with brothers and sisters in need.
Donations from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures for this project incurred through June 30, 2027, the close of our ministry’s fiscal year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry.
