Nhi Nguyen

Alena Balmforth
Writing 900-004
18 April 2016
Ash Wednesday
Every religions have some important days to celebrate depending on each God people
adore. When they have the beliefs in something or someone who makes their life better, actually
there are many stories about the days people should acknowledge and spend time on those days
to memorize. Specifically in the Catholic religion, there are so many important days everyone are
Catholic have to remember and follow it strictly. For instance, Christmas is one of the biggest
celebrations people always do every year. However, everyone all know Christmas Day even
though they are not Catholic. They didnt know some another important days people in Catholic
force to follow. Ash Wednesday is a traditional day with Catholic which forces the worshipers
have to involved. It has definition about Ash Wednesday, some activities to do and the meaning
of the day.
First, with someone who arent involved to Catholic, they actually have the question in
their mind: What is Ash Wednesday? It is the first day of the Lentis tended to be a time of
self-denial, moderation, fasting and the forsaking of sinful activities and habits. It didnt have the
exactly the day for celebration because it was used by the liturgical calendar, or the Ash
Wednesday is celebrated during the first month of the lunar calendar. Ash Wednesday and Lent
are observed by most Catholics and some Protestant dominations. Ash Wednesday was a
tradition of penance and fasting, and took place 40 days before Easter Sunday. It meant we were

going to have fasting during those days until Easter. Many worshipers kept their fasting meal
perfectly in 40 days. But, it didnt force people have to have fasting food for all those days.
There were two important day people have to have fasting: Ash Wednesday which began for the
first day of Lent for preparing the Easter and the 46th day of the Lent which was called Good
Friday memorizing Jesus died on the cross for human. Ashes also symbolized grief that we have
sinned and caused division from God. It dedicated to reflection, prayer and fasting in preparation
for Easter. It is the definition about Ash Wednesday every worshiper had learn in the religious
school when they were young. On the other hand, the children who havent study in the school of
the church will have their own definition about the Ash Wednesday. Usually the most of them
will say the Ash Wednesday is the day of suffering because its the fasting day no meat for any
meals.
Secondly, many people are curious about the meaning of the Ash Wednesday. The ashes,
applied in the shape of penance, mourning and mortality. In the past long time ago, ashes were
used for the people who were seriously guilty such as refusing the religion, murdering, and
betraying the husband or wife, etc. These people were excluded from the community of the
believers. If they wanted to go back to the community, they must follow the penances depending
on the request of the church. At the first day of Lent Ash Wednesday, these people would come
to the church and tell what kind of crimes they did. After that, the priest would use the ashes for
putting the sight of cross in front of forehead of these people. Then, they were kicked out of the
church and were assigned to go to the monastery to live and perform the penances. When the 45th
day of the Lent was coming, they would go back to the church for let the priest knew how their
penances were doing and read announcement about removing the sin and accepted these people
went back to their community. However, now, the ashes are used for every single worshiper for

making them thinking again about their sinfulness and making the solution to fix it. The Ash
Wednesday is helping us to realize that we have been triumphed through the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the Ash Wednesday is coming, every Catholic people usually
remind this sentence in their mind: Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Many people have to do some activities on the Ash Wednesday which is a day of
penitential prayer and fasting. Some faithful take the rest of the day off work and remain home.
Surely everyone has to come to the church for praying. During the time being in church, the
priest will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers. The use
of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history of Jewish and Christian worship.
Ashes signified purification and sorrow for sins. In addition, fasting is one of part of Ash
Wednesday. Fasting is to do without food which purpose is to experience the effects of not
eating. It also serves to be a penance or a sacrifice. Fasting is a wonderful exercise whenever we
want to sincerely ask for an important grace from God. Fasting means something very specific
and limited. Furthermore, when were fasting, we have to follow the direction of the meal which
means eating only three meals per day with one meal is full and the rests are half full.
I always had experiences about the fasting when the Ash Wednesday was coming. In the
normal days, I often didnt want to eat meat. But, when I had to have fasting meal, I felt like the
sky was dropping in front of my eyes. I could feel the demons were sitting beside and tempting
me. Suddenly I always wanted to eat meat during that day, but I won myself for keeping the
fasting perfectly. However, in the law of the fasting day had one more thing required for every
people who were over 18 years old: just eating only three meals without snacking anything else
such as chips. I couldnt perform it well because I always felt hungry on that day and I had to eat
somethings besides the three meals.

Ash Wednesday is the special day for many people to memorize who they are although
they are usually busy. On the Ash Wednesday, they will spend their time to the church and to
themselves to remind them how they come to the world and after that, where they will go back.
Moreover, its the time for people be considered about themselves again such as think the way
they are doing is right or wrong, etc. When people come to the church, they will listen to the
Bible and understand how the God endured during the fasting times. Many people feel their soul
is suddenly saved on that day such as God is standing inside their heart for secure them out of the
sinfulness by receiving the ashes in front of their forehead from the priest.