Ash Wednesday Facts and Figures

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Today, February 22, 2012 is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Ash Wednesday, which takes place 46 days before Easter, marks the beginning of a 40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting.

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We’ve gathered some useful facts and figures for anyone to understand deeper the significance of this day.

Ash Wednesday (Liturgical Meaning)

Ash Wednesday is a day of universal fast and abstinence in the Church.

Today, ashes are blessed and imposed after the homily. These ashes are of palms blessed in the previous Palm Sunday. Apart from Mass, a liturgy of the Word precedes the rite of blessing, concluding with the general intercessions, the Lord’s Prayer, and a hymn. The ordinary minister for the blessing of ashes is a priest or deacon. Others (e.g., Extra-ordinary ministers of Holy Communion) may assist with the imposition of ashes where there is genuine need, especially for the sick and the shut-ins. One of the following formulas is used:

Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.
or
Remember, you are dust, and to dust you will return.
The two Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation are appropriate for the season of Lent.

One of the ferial days of Lent no obligatory memorials may be celebrated. Those which occur during Lent are considered optional memorials for the year. Those who wish to celebrated optional memorial during Lent add at OR the Patristic reading with its response and may conclude with the prayer of the Saint. In the Mass of the day one may say the collect of Saint.

At Masses and services of worship today, the priest, minister or officiating layperson marks the forehead of the faithful with ashes in the sign of the cross. Traditionally, the worshipper retains the cross of ashes until it wears off.

In the Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat, and repentance.

Ash Wednesday is a moveable fast and will occur on the following dates in the future years:

2013 – February 13 2014 – March 5 2015 – February 18 2016 – February 10 2017 – March 1 2018 – February 14 2019 – March 6 2020 – February 26 2021 – February 17 2022 – March 2 2023 – February 22

Did you attend the Holy Mass today? Have you had your forehead marked with the cross of ashes?


References: The Archdiocese of Manila website, Wikipedia.org

Posted in: 40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting, ash wednesday, catholic church, easter fasting starts today, first day of lent, holy mass starts today