Everyone’s favorite season of sacrifice is just around the corner! The penitential period of the Church year seems to sneak up on us year after year, and brings with it lots of questions.
While wonder is a gift of the Holy Spirit, there’s no need to sit in uncertainty any longer!
Is Ash Wednesday a Holy Day of Obligation?
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) 1991 general decree, there are six Holy Days of Obligation in the United States, in addition to the Sundays of the year:
January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension (which has been transferred to the closest Sunday in most U.S. dioceses, including Denver)
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
So, the short answer is no, Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation.
Yet still, Catholics around the world mark the day with profound solemnity. And many who are unable to worship in the community for any number of legitimate reasons find themselves feeling guilty, as if they’ve sinned.
Is receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday mandatory? Am I sinning if I can’t go to church?
Since Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation, missing Mass on that day does not constitute a sin.
But what better way to enter into the Lenten season than by joining the Catholic community in prayer — the first of the pillars of Lent, alongside fasting and almsgiving — and reflection?
The prayers, readings and graces of the Ash Wednesday liturgies give us the divine strength to live the “campaign of Christian service” that is Lent well, “armed with weapons of self-restraint,” as the Collect for the day teaches us.
While one may not incur sin by missing Mass or a prayer service on the day, it is certainly a virtuous thing to do our best to mark the day with extra solemnity through prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Where do the ashes on Ash Wednesday come from?
So what exactly is being placed on our heads every Ash Wednesday? Where does the smudge — erm, the ash cross — come from?
In the United States, it’s common practice to burn the blessed palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday and use those ashes for the following Ash Wednesday. More than just a good way to reduce, reuse and recycle, the practice points to a deeper spiritual reality.
When items are blessed, they are set aside for a holy purpose. They are no longer just normal things; in some sense, they are meant to lead us closer to God and deeper in prayer.
Since these things — like the blessed palms — hold a special meaning, we shouldn’t just toss them away. In fact, the Church encourages us to dispose of blessed items in a unique way, either by burying or burning them.
In the case of the blessed palms, Catholic churches across the United States have taken to the second option. What was once used to celebrate the King of Kings upon his entrance to Jerusalem — a celebration that quickly led to his suffering and death — is now used to remind us of our own weakness and mortality.
Where do the ashes go?
You might have noticed your favorite news anchors, celebrities, coworkers, security guards or baristas with the traditional Lenten sign smack-dab in the middle of their foreheads on Ash Wednesday… but did you know that the practice is generally American?
In the United States, it’s customary to place the ashes on the forehead in the shape of a cross. But in other parts of the world, like in Rome, the ashes are sprinkled on the top of the head.
The instruction in the Roman Missal simply directs that ashes be placed “on the head of all those present” who come forward to receive them. Whether they are placed on the forehead in the shape of a cross — or, let’s be honest, more of a smudge — or if they’re sprinkled on the top of the head, the important thing is to remember their symbolic meaning and reminder: God made us out of dust; we are dependent on him for everything; and, at the end of the road, to dust we’ll return.
Who can receive ashes on Ash Wednesday?
As one might suspect from reading the instruction mentioned above, Catholics are not the only ones that can receive the blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday!
As a sacramental, or a sacred sign that has a spiritual effect through the intercession of the Church, the blessed ashes sanctify the beginning of our Lenten journey and convey a deeper spiritual truth.
Different from a sacrament like the Eucharist, this sacramental is not reserved only to Catholics. All are welcome to receive ashes as a holy practice to kick-start their Lenten observances!
Why don’t we give out ashes on the go, like in a drive-through, on Ash Wednesday?
It’s no surprise that folks have a lot on their plates and are often rushing from one thing to the next. So, given just how busy everyone is, why not accommodate schedules and offer a commuter’s ashes?
According to the Book of Blessings, the blessing and distribution of ashes “normally takes place during the celebration of Mass,” or “when circumstances require, the blessing and distribution of ashes may take place apart from Mass, during a celebration of the Word of God” (1059).
In short, the instructions for Ash Wednesday tell us that ashes should be distributed in the context of a liturgy. That liturgy need not be long if circumstances require, but it’s important that we come together in worship at the start of this holy season.
Rooting the reception of ashes in the Word of God and taking a moment to pray as we fast and give alms at the beginning of Lent helps us to appreciate the spiritual significance of what is being celebrated.
Lent is a time for slowing down and checking in with the Lord, a season to draw nearer to God who loves us more than we can imagine. Even though we might be swamped with good things, taking a few minutes for prayer, recollection and reconnection with God is always a good thing.
Do I have to fast on Ash Wednesday? What does that mean?
The Church asks the faithful to fast on only two days per year: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Of course, fasting is a virtuous act that can bring us closer to Jesus, but we are only required to fast on these two days.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, an organization of all the U.S. bishops, explains that all faithful from age 18 to age 59 are required to fast on these two days. By fasting, they mean the faithful should only eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal, on these days.
On other days during Lent and throughout the year, the Church does encourage the faithful to abstain from meat. Different from the days of fasting, these days of abstinence offer Catholics of all states of life the opportunity to give something up communally and, in solidarity, to remember him who gave up his own flesh for us on the Cross.
So, on Fridays throughout the year, but especially in Lent, the faithful are asked to abstain from meat in a small act of penance. On Fridays outside of Lent, the U.S. bishops permit that some other penance be substituted for abstinence from meat.
