The liturgy of Ash Wednesday gives us guidelines for our 40 day journey. In the Exsultet, the Church rejoices in this Original Sin, because it brought the Redemption: "O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!" The Church repeats these words as the cross is traced on our foreheads "Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you shall return." Thus this opens a theme that is echoed throughout Lent and then decidedly pronounced during the Easter Vigil. In the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, since out of it you were taken for dust you are and unto dust you shall return (Gen 3:17-19). After Adam and Eve committed the Original Sin, God expelled them from the Garden of Eden with these words:Ĭursed be the ground because of you in toil shall you eat of it all the days of your life thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you, and you shall eat the plants in the field. popes and all faithful started to receive the ashes as a sincere and external token that we are all poor sinners.Īshes remind us of the curse from Genesis.
In early Christian centuries the imposition of ashes was only used for public sinners, but around the year 1000 A.D. The practice of sprinkling ashes on one's head as a sign of penance was customary even in the Old Testament-in the Book of Esther, Mordecai put on sackcloth and ashes (Est 4:1) Job sat in sackcloth and ashes to repent (Job 42:6) all of Ninevah put on sackcloth and ashes to repent after Jonah's preaching (Jon 3:5-6). The imposition of ashes is also a symbol of penance and sorrow for our sins. Ashes are a symbol of this passing world, a reminder of our death. Our bodies were made from nothing, and will return to nothing when we die.
"Then the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being" (Gen 2:7). This is a vivid reminder of our mortal nature. The ashes are made by burning the previous year's blessed palms. So says the priest as he makes the sign of cross with ashes on our foreheads. "Remember, man, you are dust, and unto dust you shall return." The significance of ashes that are imposed on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday.Īsh Wednesday opens up this season of penitence.
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