What is the meaning of ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It is 46 days before Easter and occurs anywhere between February 4 and March 10. The religious holiday has not occurred on February 29 and will not do so until 2096.
Its official name is “Day of Ashes,” so called because of the practice of rubbing ashes on one’s forehead in the sign of a cross. Since it is exactly 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday, it will always fall on a Wednesday – there cannot be an “Ash Thursday” or “Ash Monday.” The Bible never mentions Ash Wednesday – for that matter, it never mentions Lent.
Ash Wednesday Calendar
- 2016 – February 10
- 2017 – March 1
- 2018 – February 14
- 2019 – March 6
- 2020 – February 26
- 2021 – February 17
- 2022 – March 2
- 2023 – February 22
- 2024 – February 14
- 2025 – March 5
Why do we put ash on our forehead?
Ashes are applied to our forehead in the sign of the cross as the words, “Remember, you are dust and to dust you shall return” are spoken to us. The other formula which is used, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” emphasizes our call to continual conversion and holiness of life. This act symbolizes our mortality as well as our need for ongoing repentance. It is a reminder that this life is short and merely a foreshadowing of what we shall become through the redemption of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Where do the ashes come from?
The ashes for Ash Wednesday normally are made from blessed palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday. The ashes are sprinkled with Holy Water and incensed before distribution.
When do I wash the Ashes off my face?
There is no specific instruction on how long ashes are to be worn. You can, in fact, wash them off immediately after the service if you want. Many people choose to wear their ashes for the remainder of the day both as a reminder of their own mortality and as a witness before those around that they are a follower of Christ and are entering into a season of examination and abstinence.
Ash Wednesday Quotes
“The day is full of joy…The source of all sorrow is the illusion that of ourselves we are anything but dust.” ~ Thomas
“Nevertheless, the liturgy of these day is not focused on the sinfulness of the penitent but on the mercy of God. The question of sinfulness is raised precisely because this is a day of mercy, and the just do not need a savior.”
Thomas
“I’m a sinner. I don’t always love God as strongly as I could or as directly as I should. it reminds me that it is only through God that I have life; He gave it to me. God forgives. He loves. And He gives this sinner a second chance. Put simply: my God kicks ash.”
~ Mark Hart
“Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.” ~ Pope Francis
“Even the darkest moments of the liturgy are filled with joy, and , the beginning of the Lenten fast, is a day of happiness, a Christian feast.”
~ Thomas Merton
This day is best wishes on proving you love Jesus more than you love not looking ridiculous in front of your peers.
Today is a day when we contemplate our mortality. I rubbed my cancer scar, said a prayer of thanks and moved on.
Most gracious God we come praying on this Ash Wednesday as we remember our Lord Jesus’ trek toward Calvary. Thank you for such love, Amen.
Ash Wednesday a day that reminds us were not here forever, and challenges us to live the very best every day.
“Teach us to care and not to care” ~ T. S. Eliot
Short Ash Wednesday Quotes
“Give your heart to everybody you meet. The rest is a pretense.” ― Ethan Hawke
“Are you capable of risking your life for someone? Do it for Christ.” — Pope John Paul
“Success isn’t measured by what you achieve; it’s measured by the obstacles you overcome.” ― Ethan Hawke
“Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.” — Pope Francis
The most important thing a born again Christian can do is to pray.” — Chuck Smith
“With this sunrise somehow I felt I was exactly where I was supposed to be… Have faith, the light seemed to announce.” – Ethan Hawke
“Prayer is where the action is.” — John Wesley
“The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.” — Pope St. Gregory the Great
“Some things suck; they hurt bad. The question is, do you have the courage to let them?” ― Ethan Hawke
“Nothing, how little so ever it be, if it is suffered for God’s sake, can pass without merit in the sight of God.” — Thomas a Kempis
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“The only way I can get through Wednesday is by avoiding people who call it Hump Day. –Unknown
“Help!!!! Why is Wednesday spelled like that!!!! – Blake Shelton
“Renounce yourself in order to follow Christ; discipline your body; do not pamper yourself, but love fasting.” — Saint Benedict
“You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed.” — A.J. Gordon “Prayer does not change the purpose of God. But prayer does change the action of God.” — Chuck Smith
Ash Wednesday Quotes Bible
Matthew 6:16-18 (kJV) – Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
“And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” – Genesis 2:7 (KJV)
“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:1 (KJV)
Matthew 6:16-26 (GNB) – Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward
“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” – Genesis 3:9 (ESV)
“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” – Job 42:5-6 (ESV)
“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” – Job 42:5-6(ESV)
“And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” – Ezekiel 9:4 (ESV)
Happy Ash Wednesday Quotes
Ash Wednesday; Time to reflect and share our thanks, for this is the time that we remember the greatest sacrifice. – Unknown
“Give your heart to everybody you meet. The rest is pretense.” ― Ethan Hawke, Ash Wednesday
“Success isn’t measured by what you achieve; it’s measured by the obstacles you overcome.” ― Ethan Hawke, Ash Wednesday
“[She] and I were giving each other the only thing we truly have to offer: our time. We were going to give each other the living minutes of our life.” ― Ethan, Ash Wednesday
Most gracious God we come praying on this Ash Wednesday as we remember our Lord Jesus’ trek toward Calvary. Thank you for such love, Amen. – Unknown
“If someone asks me if I believe in God, I shake my head like I couldn’t give a shit, but the truth is, I do. I just don’t know what to do about it.” ― Ethan Hawke,
“If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer. — Martin Luther
“The Lord measures out perfection neither by the multitude nor the magnitude of our deeds, but by the manner in which we perform them.” — St. John of the Cross
“You cannot be proud and expect to be transformed away from your sins. You need to humble yourself and have a spirit of repentance within you. Then you will see real change.” — Mable Vine
During these 40 days, let me put away all my pride. Let me change my heart and give up all that is not good within me. Let me love God with all that I am and all that I have.” — Genesis Grain
Ash Wednesday Sayings And Quotes
“Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.”
“Fasting makes sense if it really chips away at our security and, as a consequence, benefits someone else, if it helps us cultivate the style of the good Samaritan, who bent down to his brother in need and took care of him.”
“Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is good… Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.”
“On Wednesdays we wear pink. – Mean Girls
“Wednesdays were the best thing about Atlantis. The middle of the week was a traditional holiday there. Everyone stopped work and celebrated the fact that half the week was over. – Walter Moers
“I believe in God – not in a Catholic God; there is no Catholic God. There is God, and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my Being.”
“A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.”
“Wretched are those who are vindictive and spiteful.”
“The confessional is not a torture chamber, but the place in which the Lord’s mercy motivates us to do better.”
“We must always walk in the presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, always trying to live in an irreprehensible way.”
“On Wednesday, when the sky is blue, and I have nothing else to do, I sometimes wonder if it’s true That who is what and what is who. –Winnie-the-Pooh
Funny Ash Wednesday Quotes
Ash Wednesday; Time to reflect and share our thanks, for this is the time that we remember the greatest sacrifice. – Unknown
Ash Wednesday is a movable feast falling of different dates each year depending on the date of Easter.
On Ash Wednesday, many churches hold a special worship service where the people are blessed with ashes, typically marking their foreheads with the sign of the cross. The blessing typically comes with a reminder that we all come from ashes, and to ashes we all will return.
Repent and believe in the gospel. A Blessed Ash Wednesday to all my fellow Catholics. – Unknown quotes
In your emptiness, you will find yourself. You will find your God. Homily, Peace be with you. Ash Wednesday! – Unknown
It’s a bad day when you don’t get the work done that you need to get done or you don’t get it done to the satisfaction. – David Fincher
Wednesday will be amazing so wake up and smile. – Unknown
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Wednesday Quotes and Sayings
Wednesday quotes are for that mid-point day of the week that some refer to as “Hump Day.” If you can’t get over the hump, you’ve almost made it to the weekend!
It’s a bad day when you don’t get the work done that you need to get done or you don’t get it done to the satisfaction. – David Fincher
Wednesday will be amazing so wake up and smile. – Unknown
They didn’t want it good, they wanted it Wednesday. – Robert A. Heinlein
It’s up to you to find beauty in the ugliest days. – Unknown
Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, what’s in it for me? – Brian Tracy
Ash Wednesday Prayer
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent which falls forty six days before Easter. It is not on a fixed date, falling on a different date each year because it is reliance on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.
Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes that are used are mostly gathered after the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned.
Lent takes 40-days (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. This 40-day period is meant to mark Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness. Where he fasted and where the Devil tempted him. In this period of lent believers are expected to set aside a time each year for similar fasting. Consequently followed by a celebration of Christs death and Resurrection.
Ash Wednesday Prayer
Ash Wednesday Prayer
Heavenly Father, Blessed One, have mercy on us. Lord, as we repent our sins to You. We have been deficient in Your glory and without your mercy and grace, we would be non-existent. Father, we repent now. Lord, as we embark onto this Lenten season, be close to us. Help us Lord, through Your Holy Spirit, to believe in what is right and in repentance for our sin. Help us, by your Spirit, to have the strength to defeat the enemy.
Thank you, Father, that Easter is arriving! Death has no power, no victory, because of Jesus! Glory and honor and praise be to His Name! Lord, thank you for rescuing us. Help us appreciate both the importance and the joy of this season in our hearts and as we move through the next several weeks. Help us bear the good fruit of Your Spirit.
Father, thank you, for the ashes on our forehead do not symbolize our ultimate reality. We might have been formed from the dust , but our bodies, our spirits, ourselves, await beautiful redemption and the restoration of all things. Help us wait and look forward to that day, and let it come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.”
Ash Wednesday Meditation Prayer
“Loving God, today marks the beginning of a period of inner reflection and examination. Father, the days stretch before me and invite me inward to that silent, holy space that houses Your Holy Spirit. This special period invites me to examine my life through our Lord Jesus Christ’s eyes and the truth and reality of your love embodied. Father, give me the grace to enter the atmosphere of these days with anticipation of our meeting. Lord, when I open my heart to your presence, let your loving kindness flow over me and seep into the pockets of my soul. I ask this for the sake of your love.”
Ash Wednesday Reflection Prayer
“Almighty and Loving Father,
you do not hate anything you have made
and forgive the sins of all who are repentant.
Create and make in us clean and remorseful hearts.
So that, we can worthily regret our sins
and acknowledging our wickedness,
may we obtain from You, the Father of all mercy,
perfect absolution and forgiveness.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
1979 Book of Common Prayer
Ash Wednesday Ashes to Ashes Prayer
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
All that is not of God must die.
Also, all that is crushed will be made whole again.
Lord, all that is lost will be found again,
Father, may we repent of the ways that we did not serve you.
May we surrender to the tensions that tell us where we need to change,
Christ is coming walking towards the cross.
God may we see him clearly
Pouring out love
Pour out mercy
Pouring out peace.
May we kneel before him in humble devotion,
May we take up our cross and follow
And walk with Christ into the ways of life. Amen.”
Intercessions for Ash Wednesday
Loving God of renewal, remember your church: [pause]
those who guide your people,
those ordained to serve,
those called to lead.
For this, remember your mercy, God.
Heavenly God of forgiveness, remember your lands: [pause]
cities ravaged by war,
people plagued by hunger,
nations unable to reunite.
For this, remember your mercy, Father.
God of rest, remember your people: [pause]
those overwhelmed,
those cornered by fear,
those who have lost their path to you.
For this, show your mercy, Lord.
Lord God of salvation, remember our parish: [pause]
those who preach to the broken,
who shelter the homeless,
who look for safe refuge within our doors.
For this, remember your mercy, Lord.
God of living waters, remember our catechumens: [pause]
those who long to get to know you,
and those who hunger for your bread of life,
those who thirst for your cup of salvation.
For this, remember your mercy, Lord.
God of promise, remember the sick,
especially those we now name: [pause]
For this, remember your mercy, Lord.
God of resurrection, remember our dead,
especially those we now name: [pause]
For this, remember your mercy Lord. Amen.”
Ash Wednesday Hymns
“Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen harmless worlds at once — art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the good hiding the best. It is easy to find out whether our lives are focused, and if so, where the focus lies. Where do our thoughts settle when consciousness comes back in the morning? Where do they swing back when the pressure is off during the day? Dare to have it out with God, and ask Him to show you whether or not all is focused on Christ and His Glory. Turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him.”
Ash Wednesday Verse
Ecclesiastes 3:6
A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.
Daniel 10:12
Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.
Matthew 4:2
And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.
Matthew 6:16-17
“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face
Isaiah 58:4-6
“Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high. “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?
Matthew 17:21
[“But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”]
1 Corinthians 7:5
Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Ephesians 5:20
always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
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