Archbishop Thomas Wenski will celebrate this year's Ash Wednesday mass at St. Anthony Church, 901 Northeast Second St., Fort Laude, on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
The mass will begin at 12:10 p.m. Both members of the community and members of the media are invited to attend the mass.
As mentioned, on Ash Wednesday, Catholics over 14 are expected to abstain from eating meat in observance of the Lenten season.
For people aged 18 to 59, this day is also observed as fasting, consisting of one big meal and two smaller meals, with no food consumed in the intervals between meals.
At 12:10 in the afternoon, Bishop Enrique Delgado will preside over the celebration of Mass at Gesu Church, located in the heart of Downtown Miami in the county of Miami-Dade.
Ash Wednesday
According to Catholic Online, Ash Wednesday is one of the liturgical calendar's most well-known and significant celebrations. The Lent season, marked by abstinence and prayer, begins on Ash Wednesday.
It takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday and is mainly commemorated by Catholics. But, a large number of other Christians also observe the Christian holiday.
The ancient Jewish practice of repentance and fasting gave rise to the modern-day observance of Ash Wednesday. Ashes are traditionally worn on the person's head as part of the rite and represent the dirt from which God created humans.
During the mass, those in attendance can receive ashes as a visual sign of their commitment to the sacrament of penance. Even individuals excommunicated from the Christian faith are allowed to receive the ashes.
The ashes were created using the holy palm branches collected at the previous year's Palm Sunday Mass.
People mark their foreheads with ashes to teach them humility and as a constant reminder that life is fleeting.
Ashes signify penance elevated to a sacrament via the church's blessing. They assist people in cultivating a mindset that is more submissive and willing to make sacrifices.
The ashes are given a holy name by pouring Holy Water over them and scented by being exposed to Incense.
It is a reminder that God is kind and merciful to those who call on Him with penitent hearts. While the ashes are a sign of penance and repentance, they are also a reminder that God is gracious and forgiving.
The scattering of ashes was once part of a ceremony in the distant past. Christians who had committed severe sins were required to carry out public acts of penance.
On Ash Wednesday, the bishop blesses the hair shirts that the congregation would be required to wear for the forty days of penance.
After the toil of 40 days of penance and sacramental absolution, the penitents were not allowed back into the church until Maundy Thursday.
It was because they had gained reconciliation through their efforts. When some time had passed, all Christians, whether open or private penitents, came to receive ashes as an act of devotion.
In the past, the scattering of ashes was always followed by a procession representing a form of penance.
More from Crossmap:
