Ash Wednesday 2007

Where did we get Ash Wednesday? At one time in early Christianity, public penitents in Rome were ceremonially admitted to begin their penance on this day. But when this form of discipline fell into disuse between the 8th and 19th Centuries, the general penitence of the whole congregation took place. This was symbolized by the imposition of ashes on both clergy and people in token of penitence and mourning. (ODCC, 2d ed, p 96)

The power of ashes as both sign and symbol go back to thee earliest days recorded in the Bible.

As Abraham bargained for Sodom not to be destroyed, he said:, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes: Gen 18:27

Ashes played a powerful role in Moses struggle with Pharaoh to set the chosen people free: God said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast. Exo 9:8-10

After King David’s daughter Tamar had been raped by her brother Absolom: And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went. 2Sa 13:19

In Queen Esther’s time, when the destruction of the Jews was planned, Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry; and he came even before the king's gate: for none might enter within the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. Est 4:1-3

Job laments: And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction have taken hold upon me. … By God's great force is my garment disfigured; It bindeth me about as the collar of my coat. He hath cast me into the mire, And I am become like dust and ashes. But now mine eye seeth thee: Wherefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes. Job 30:16-19; Job 42:5b-6

The prophet known as Third Isaiah: Is such the fast that I have chosen? the day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to Jehovah? Isa 58:5

The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified. Isa 61:1-3

And in the Jeremiad of the prophet Jeremiah: O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the destroyer shall suddenly come upon us. Wail, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow in ashes, ye principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are fully come, and ye shall fall like a goodly vessel. Jer 6:26; 25:34

He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes Lam 3:16 .

Ezekiel: And all … shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes: and they shall make themselves bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee in bitterness of soul with bitter mourning. Eze 27:29-31

The Apocalypse of Daniel: And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. Dan 9:3

After Jonah prophesied the destruction of Nineveh: And the tidings reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Jon 3:6

And in the gospels: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Mat 11:21; Luke 10:13

Symbolism of the ashes

The marking of their forehead with a cross made of ashes reminds each churchgoer that:

Death comes to everyone

They should be sad for their sins

They must change themselves for the better

God made the first human being by breathing life into dust, and without God, human beings are nothing more than dust and ashes

The shape of the mark and the words used are symbolic in other ways:
The cross is a reminder of the mark of the cross made at baptism

The phrase often used when the ashes are administered reminds Christians of the doctrine of original sin
The cross of ashes may symbolize the way Christ's sacrifice on the cross as atonement for sin replaces the Old Testament tradition of making burnt offerings to atone for sin. (BBC, Wikipedia)

AMEN