Why ashes on Ash Wednesday?

Answer 1

+ Ashes in the Bible +

"O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes." (Jeremiah 6:26)

"I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes." (Daniel 9:3)

"When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes." (Jonah 3:6)

"And all the Israelite men, women and children who lived in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple building, with ashes strewn on their heads, displaying their sackcloth covering before the Lord." (Judith 4:11; see also 4:15 and 9:1)

"That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes." (1 Maccabees 3:47; see also 4:39)

Jesus refers to the use of sackcloth and ashes as signs of repentance: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes." (Matthew 11:21, Luke 10:13)

+ Ashes Wednesday +

As the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday calls us to the conversion journey that marks the season.

As those preparing to join the Church enter the final stage of their preparation for the Easter sacraments, we are all called to walk with them so that we will be prepared to renew our baptismal promises when Easter arrives.

When we receive ashes on our foreheads, we remember:
+ Who we are
+ That we are creatures of the earth
. "Remember that you are dust"
+ That we are mortal beings
. "and to dust you will return"
+ That we are baptized
+ That we are people on a journey of conversion
. "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel"
+ That we are members of the body of Christ
+ That smudge on our foreheads will proclaim that identity to others, too

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Not sure exactly what you mean but the "ash" part comes from back in the old days when priests would mark children on their foreheads with small smudges of ash.

For more information, I suggest you read the article on wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday

Answer 3

"Remember man that thou are dust, and unto dust thou shalt return."

Ashes = dust. The ashes actually are supposed to come from the burned palms from the previous Palm Sunday.

Answer 4

Covering your face in ash when fasting is a common practice throughout history in many different religions and cultures. If people know you're fasting they won't offer you food and stuff.

To the thumbs down person, for god's sake read a history/anthropology book.

Answer 5

to remind us that we are made from ashes and we will be ashes when we die.

Answer 6

To remind us that we came from dust and that we will return to dust. And it is the beginning of Lent

Answer 7

acording to the myth, when jesus entered jerusalem, they covered the street with palm fronds for him to walk on. once he'd passed, they burned the palm fronds so that they couldn't be desecrated.

i think.

Answer 8

reminds u sthat it is from dust that we come and dust we shall return.

Answer 9

Hot dogs and sauerkraut don't stick well to your forehead.

Answer 10

Burned all the pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.

oh, right....R & S = no sense of humour...