Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar, a period of preparation for Easter through repentance, reflection, and fasting. While the term "Ash Wednesday" itself does not appear in the Bible, its observances are rooted in biblical themes of repentance and mortality. The practice of marking the forehead with ashes is symbolic, drawing from ancient biblical traditions where ashes represented mourning, humility, and penitence. For instance, in Job 42:6, Job repents in dust and ashes, while in Daniel 9:3, the prophet Daniel uses fasting, sackcloth, and ashes as expressions of earnest prayer and repentance.The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are typically derived from the burning of palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday, connecting the observance to the cyclical nature of the church year. The act serves as a reminder of human mortality, echoing Genesis 3:19, where God tells Adam, "For dust you are and to dust you shall return." Thus, Ash Wednesday invites believers to reflect on their spiritual state, acknowledge their need for God's grace, and prepare their hearts for the celebration of Christ's resurrection at Easter.