Christians will observe Ash Wednesday Wednesday, ushering in the 40-day season of Lent, when the faithful prepare for Easter by doing penance for sins and seeking spiritual renewal through prayer, discipline and good works.
Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of penance. A minister or priest marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the shape of a cross.
In the Roman Catholic Church, individuals are told as the ashes are applied to their foreheads, “Turn from sin and live the Gospel.”
Catholics observe Ash Wednesday by fasting, abstaining from meat and repenting. Other Christian denominations make fasting optional, with the main focus being on repentance.
Archbishop José H. Gomez will celebrate an Ash Wednesday Mass at 7 a.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Masses will also be celebrated at 8 a.m., 12:10 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. A Spanish-language Mass will be celebrated at 7 p.m.
The 12:10 p.m. bilingual Mass will be streamed on the cathedral’s YouTube page, youtube.com/olacathedral.
The Archdiocese has created a Lenten webpage with daily reflections, prayers and service resources, alongside the “Fast From // Feast On” campaign inviting the faithful to turn from distractions and grow in God’s mercy through weekly reflections, family activities and social media at @lacatholics or lacatholics.org/lent.