LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Christians will observe Ash Wednesday on March 5, 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.
In their Ash Wednesday message, President Donald Trump and his wife Melania said, "This Ash Wednesday, we join in prayer with the tens of millions of American Catholics and other Christians beginning the holy season of Lent -- a time of spiritual anticipation of the passion, death, and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
"During the Lenten season, Christians spend 40 days and 40 nights praying, fasting, and giving alms to deepen our faith and strengthen our belief in the Gospel. Today, followers of Christ wear crosses of ash on their foreheads -- a sacred reminder of our mortality and our enduring need for Christ's infinite mercy and redeeming love.
"As we solemnly contemplate Jesus Christ's suffering and death on the cross this Lent, let us prepare our souls for the coming glory of the Easter miracle.
"We offer you our best wishes for a prayerful and enriching Lenten season. May Almighty God bless you, and may He continue to bless the United States of America."
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