What is Lent? And what is Ash Wednesday?

Lent is the name given to the 40 days before the Resurrection of  Christ Jesus. It is a time Christians look for ways to help them to prepare their hearts to focus on the true meaning of Easter – to become aware of sins that need to be confessed and eradicated from our daily lives, to reflect on the awesome sacrifice Christ made so our sins could be forever forgiven, and to purpose to live holier lives.

Ash Wednesday is a special service practiced in some Christian churches. This service is a reminder to the people that we came from dust and that one day we will return to dust, and this reminder is brought to a personal level as the ashes are rubbed on each forehead in the shape of a cross.

Ash Wednesday falls on March 5 in 2014. The dates for Ash Wednesday and for Easter are established by a different calendar that includes phases of the moon so it never falls on the same date two years in a row. This year they fall a little later on the calendar than in recent years.

I will try to post more often during the next 40 days with scriptures relevant to the season of Lent reflecting on Christ and the sacrifice he made for us.

Click here for a longer article about Ash Wednesday if you want to know more.