ASH WEDNESDAY AND THE OBSERVANCE OF LENT

Ash Wednesday and the observance of Lent as we know it came into existence somewhere between the fifth and eighth centuries. Forty is the number of days our Lord fasted in the wilderness, like the forty-day fasts of Moses and Elijah which are recorded in the Old Testament. Thus Ash Wednesday is now forty-six days before Easter (forty weekdays). The tradition of fasting during Lent mirrors that of our Lord. In the Book of Common Prayer, Ash Wednesday is described as a ‘Greater Fast’, one of two, with Good Friday being the other. The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are obtained by burning the palms of the previous year (now the palm crosses).
Lent is a season when we pray for God’s compassion, and we should also show compassion to others. In modern times we are equally encouraged to ‘take something on’ as ‘give something up’.