Next week marks the beginning of Lent, the 40-day liturgical season leading up to Holy Thursday. On Ash Wednesday, I’ll join millions throughout the world in fasting, abstaining from meat and receiving ashes on my forehead, along with the reminder that I am dust, and that to dust I will return.
Although a handful of Protestant denominations practice the imposition of ashes, it is generally considered among the most distinctively Roman Catholic traditions. Because it occurs in the middle of a seemingly random winter week, not during a widely recognized holiday season, it tends to sneak up on people outside the faith. It’s the time each year when they are reminded exactly which of their daily acquaintances are practicing Catholics, and it’s often assumed to be a sign of particular devotion.
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