Sarah Mitchell
Catholics put ashes on their heads on Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, a season of repentance and penance. The practice is derived from the Bible, where ashes are associated with mourning and grief. While the ashes are usually applied to the forehead in the shape of a cross, they can also be sprinkled on top of the head. This ritual is performed on both adults and children, as Father John Sullivan wrote in 1917: Rich and poor, cleric and layman, the tottering old man and the little child, all throng to the altar of God.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Occasion | Ash Wednesday |
| Purpose | Symbol of repentance and penance |
| Biblical Reference | Job 2:8, 2 Samuel 13:19, Jeremiah 6:22-26 |
| Participants | Rich and poor, cleric and layman, old and young |
| Application | Forehead, crown of the head |
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What You'll Learn
Ashes as a sign of mourning and grief
Ashes have long been used as a symbol of mourning and grief. The Bible mentions ashes as a sign of mourning and grief in over forty passages. In the Bible, people often sat in ashes, rolled around in them, covered their heads with them, or sprinkled them on their heads. The Book of Samuel describes Tamar putting "ashes on her head" and "crying aloud as she went" after being raped by Amnon. In another instance, Job "sat among the ashes" when he was stricken.
Sackcloth and ashes were the first recorded outward signs of mourning. The sackcloth was made from coarse black goat's hair, and it was worn with a dusting of ashes as a symbol of grief. The practice of wearing sackcloth and ashes is mentioned several times in the Bible, with people like Mordecai, King Hezekiah, Eliakim, King Ahab, and the elders of Jerusalem donning them to express their grief or repentance. The uncomfortable nature of sackcloth and ashes served as a physical reminder of the pain and discomfort of grief.
The use of ashes for repentance and penance can be traced back centuries and is practiced by various cultures worldwide. On Ash Wednesday, Catholics apply ashes to the foreheads of believers in the shape of a cross, symbolizing their intent to die to their worldly desires and live in Christ's image during Lent. Ashes have also been incorporated into jewellery, glass creations, memorial reefs, and 'stones' kept in pockets as a means of remembrance and transformation of grief.
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The history of Ash Wednesday
The use of ashes as a symbol of mourning, mortality, and penance has a long history in Christian tradition. In the Bible, ashes are associated with mourning and grief in over forty passages. In the Old Testament, figures used ashes and sackcloth when mourning or making a petition or repenting to God. For example, in Job 2:8, Job "sat among the ashes" when he was stricken. In another instance, Tamar "put ashes on her head" after being raped by Amnon (2 Samuel 13:19).
The use of ashes for repentance and penance can be traced back to early Christian times and is practised throughout the world. Tertullian (c. 160–c. 225) prescribed that the penitent must "live without joy in the roughness of sackcloth and the squalor of ashes." In the 4th century, the Council of Nicaea established that Easter should be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. This allowed for the calculation of the date of Easter and the establishment of Lent, the period of penance and fasting that precedes it.
By the Middle Ages, the Church had adopted the use of ashes to mark the beginning of Lent. The ritual for the "Day of Ashes" can be found in the Gregorian Sacramentary, which dates back to at least the 8th century. Around the year 1000, an Anglo-Saxon priest named Aelfric preached:
> We read in the books both in the Old Law and in the New that the men who repented of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed their bodies with sackcloth. Now let us do this little at the start of our Lent, that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast.
In 1091, Pope Urban II ordered that the custom of receiving ashes on the first day of Lent be extended to the church in Rome. The name of the day was then referred to as "Feria Quarta Cinerum" (Ash Wednesday).
Today, Ash Wednesday is observed by Christians of various denominations, including Catholic, Lutheran, Moravian, Anglican (Episcopalian), and United Protestant. It is marked by fasting and abstinence from meat, as well as the application of ashes to the forehead in the shape of a cross. This ritual symbolises the believer's intent to die to their worldly desires and live in Christ's image during Lent, a period of penitence and expectation leading up to Easter.
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The Bible and wearing ashes
The wearing of ashes has a long history in the Bible, often associated with mourning, grief, and repentance. Over forty passages in the Bible associate ashes with mourning and grief, with sackcloth and ashes representing a state of the heart. In the Old Testament, people used ashes as a sign of repentance, sprinkling them on their heads or sitting and rolling around in them. This ritual was meant to help the supplicant explore their grief and remember their relationship with God. For example, in Job 2:8, Job "sat among the ashes" when he was stricken, and Tamar put "ashes on her head" after being raped by Amnon (2 Samuel 13:19).
The practice of wearing ashes emerged from a period when the faithful were more aware of their sins and the judgment of God. It spread throughout the Church between the seventh and ninth centuries, with the people of God entering a period of penance and fasting, marked by ashes. On Ash Wednesday, Catholics continue this tradition, applying ashes to their foreheads in the shape of the cross as a symbol of their frail mortality and their intent to live in Christ's image during Lent.
The use of sackcloth and ashes in the Bible was not limited to mourning and repentance but also extended to confession and humility. For instance, Mordecai and the people of Israel wore sackcloth and ashes when facing annihilation, and Jacob did the same when he believed his son had been killed by wild beasts. Daniel combined mourning and confession in his prayer, wearing sackcloth and ashes to epitomize the Christian spirit of generosity and the awareness of a sinner in need of salvation.
The wearing of ashes and sackcloth was an outward sign of inward distress and desperation, demonstrating the sincerity of one's grief and repentance. It represented a humble change of heart that moved God to intervene and offer forgiveness. This is exemplified by the people of Nineveh, who responded to Jonah's declaration of destruction with repentance, fasting, and sackcloth and ashes. Their genuine change of heart led God to relent and spare them.
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The application of ashes
The use of ashes as a symbol of repentance and mourning can be traced back to the Bible, with over forty passages associating ashes with grief. In the Old Testament, people would sit in ashes, roll around in them, sprinkle them on their heads, or mix them with food and drink as a sign of repentance. In the book of Job, Job "sat among the ashes" when he was stricken (Job 2:8). When Tamar is raped by Amnon, she "put ashes on her head, tore her robe, and cried aloud as she went" (2 Samuel 13:19).
On Ash Wednesday, Catholics receive ashes on their foreheads or the crown of their heads as a reminder of death and the fleeting nature of worldly things. By wearing the ashes, believers publicly proclaim their intent to die to their worldly desires and live more in Christ's image during the season of Lent, which is a Latin term for 'spring' or rebirth.
While some may view the display of ashes as a form of piety or holiness, Catholics believe it is a mark of penitence and unholiness. There is no prohibition against removing the ashes, especially for those working in food service. The important aspect is the act of receiving the ashes, not the act of displaying them.
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The meaning of ashes
The practice of putting ashes on one's head is deeply rooted in Catholicism and dates back to Old Testament times. Ashes have long been associated with mourning, mortality, and penance. In the Bible, there are over forty passages that link ashes with grief and mourning. For instance, in the Book of Esther, Mordecai put on sackcloth and ashes when he heard of the decree of King Ahasuerus (or Xerxes) to kill all the Jewish people in the Persian Empire. Similarly, Job "sat among the ashes" when he was stricken (Job 2:8).
The use of ashes as a symbol of repentance and penance can be traced back to early Christianity and was practiced throughout the world. Tertullian (c. 160-220), in his book "De Poenitentia," prescribed that those penitent must "live without joy in the roughness of sackcloth and the squalor of ashes." The early Church historian Eusebius (260-340) also recounted how an apostate named Natalis came to Pope Zephyrinus clothed in sackcloth and ashes, begging for forgiveness.
In Catholicism, the use of ashes is mainly observed on Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, a season of rebirth and preparation for Easter. The ashes are made from burning the blessed palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebration, and they are imposed on the foreheads of the faithful in the shape of a cross. The priest blesses the ashes and accompanies them with words such as, "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return," reminding believers of their mortality and the necessity of penance and contrition.
By receiving and wearing the ashes, Catholics publicly proclaim their intent to die to their worldly desires and live more in Christ's image during Lent. The act of wearing ashes is a powerful symbol of humility, sorrow, and repentance, inviting believers to reflect on their sins and renew their commitment to God.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholics put ashes on their heads as a sign of mourning and grief. In the Bible, people used ashes as a sign of repentance. They sat in ashes, rolled around in them, sprinkled them on their heads, or mixed them with their food and drink.
Yes, according to Father John Sullivan, "the tottering old man and the little child" both receive ashes on Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the penitential season of Lent, a time of preparation for Easter. By receiving ashes, Catholics publicly proclaim their intent to die to their worldly desires and live more in Christ's image.
The ashes symbolise penance and mortality. They are a reminder of death and the fleeting nature of worldly things.
