Christians will observe Ash Wednesday on Wednesday, Feb. 22, ushering in the 40-day season of Lent, when the faithful prepare for Easter by doing penance for sins and seeking spiritual renewal through prayer, discipline, and good works.
Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of penance. A minister or priest marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the shape of a cross.
In the Roman Catholic church, individuals are told as the ashes are applied to their foreheads, “Turn from sin and live the Gospel.”
Catholics observe Ash Wednesday by fasting, abstaining from meat and repenting. Other Christian denominations make fasting optional, with the main focus being on repentance.
Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez will celebrate a bilingual Ash Wednesday Mass at 12:10 p.m., which will be livestreamed at facebook.com/lacatholics and youtube.com/olacathedral.
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Donnie Hewes says
As a former LDS I have never celebrated ash Wednesday, we would mark the occasion with soaking . As a transgender person soaking was fun.