Wednesday, February 14
Join us on February 14th as we observe Ash Wednesday, marking the commencement of the forty-day Lenten season.
Lent is a period devoted to repentance, fasting, and self-reflection, fostering an environment for sincere communication with God, ourselves, and others. Far from a time of condemnation, Ash Wednesday and Lent serve as a poignant reminder of God's love and grace, allowing individuals to be honest and true in the absence of judgment, and fostering a community of openness and authenticity.
7 a.m. Ash Wednesday Prayers and Ashes (Saint Michael Chapel)
12 p.m. Ash Wednesday with Holy Communion (Church)
12:30 p.m. Ashes to Go (Preston Center)
5 p.m. Joy Ash Wednesday Family Service (Church)
7 p.m. Ash Wednesday with Holy Communion (Church)*
* These services are streamed live on our website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel, and are also available for on-demand viewing on our website.
What is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the forty days of Lent.
Christians have been preparing for the celebration of Easter by walking through a “Holy Lent” since ancient times. This is patterned after Jesus's temptation in the wilderness.
Lent is a season of repentance, fasting, and self-reflection. Of course, all of this happens with the sure knowledge of God’s love and grace to us through Christ. Lent and Ash Wednesday are in no way about condemnation. They are a time in which human beings, given a pronouncement of forgiveness and absolution through Christ, can be honest with God, with ourselves, and with each other. With the terror of judgment removed, we can speak the truth.
Ash Wednesday is the day in which Christians gather to receive the imposition of ashes.
Ashes also represent mourning, as Tamar in the Old Testament used them to mourn her abuse which was not in any way her fault, but which devastated her.
Ashes are the result of burning. This burning in our lives is from our own sins and follies and from the abuse of others, and ashes represent both. They remind us that we are living in this mortal world, this fallen world, and that we are made from dust, when all else is burned away. We are mortal and will return to our maker.
-Courtesy of anglicancompass.com
Ash Wednesday 2023
Tags: Lent 2024 at Saint Michael and All Angels / Saint Michael Parish Events