For Christians around the world, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. For Catholics, Lent is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting. It is a solemn time to develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice. For Protestants, Lent is more focused on the preparation for baptism and Easter, which is the culmination of the penance, and preparation for all Christians. For all Christians, Ash Wednesday is a day for reflection on what needs to change for each person to be a better Christian and a better person.
For Catholics, Ash Wednesday is marked by a mass to receive the mark of the cross on their foreheads to remind them of the impermanence of life on Earth. The ashes, made from the previous year’s Palm Sunday palm fronds, holy water and infused with incense, are a symbol of penitence and contrition as well as a reminder of God’s grace and forgiveness of sin.
In addition, some Christians use the 40 days of Lent as a time of fasting in connection with the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness being tempted by the devil and preparing himself for his ultimate mission. The act of giving up meat, alcohol, candy and/or sweets is an acknowledgement of Christ’s fasting and sacrifice. More recently, several Christian churches have incorporated adding good works and charity in addition to a focus on prayer, penance and repentance. Lent is a time of spiritual cleansing to greet the Easter celebration in the most purified spiritual state possible.
In Cincinnati, nearly all Catholic churches have masses early morning, at mid-day and in the evening. Protestant churches generally hold only an evening service with some hosting a light supper before or after the service, and for something new and different from 5-6p, the Rev. Patricia Anderson Cook will be in the parking lot of the Mt. Healthy United Methodist Church distributing ashes. Reverend Cook is hosting a non-denominational, drive through, option to receive ashes, a church brochure and a Lenten booklet. The church is located at 7612 Perry Street in Mt. Healthy and will also host a more traditional service in the church at 7pm.
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