Secondly, the prayer used by the priest to impose ashes on the forehead of an individual is meant to remind us of our mortality and the consequences of Adam and Eve’s original sin. The penitential season begins with the crucifixion and ends with the crucifixion. These palm branches were blessed on Palm Sunday the year before, which connects the beginning of Lent to the end of Lent, when we remember the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This ceremony is relatively brief, but has rich symbolism that is sometimes forgotten.įirst of all, the ashes used are typically created at the parish church through the burning of palm branches. Ashes have a long tradition in the Catholic Church, finding its roots in the Old Testament.Īsh Wednesday in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church is focused, not surprisingly, on the imposition of ashes on all the faithful who attend Mass or a prayer service.
