With the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, the use of ashes generally fell out of favor in non-Catholic denominations.
This period is said to have prepared Christ for his three-year ministry that would culminate in his arrest, crucifixion and resurrection. Pope Urban II decreed the use of ashes to mark the beginning of a 40-day season of Lent, a time when Christians imitate Christ’s 40-day period of fasting. It was only in 1091, however, that their use was ritualized. This story was meant to demonstrate that God is merciful and heeds true remorse. God was moved by this genuine act of repentance and spared the city from destruction. In the Bible we are told that when the prophet Jonah pronounced God’s wrath on the city of Nineveh for its “wickedness,” likely because of the worship of idols or “false” gods, the king, in an act of sincere penitence, put on sackcloth and sat in ashes. The practice of donning ashes is one of them.
This Ash Wednesday many Christians will arrive at work with a black cross smudged on their foreheads countless more will slip into a church or a chapel during their lunch break or after work to receive the sign that tells the arrival of the traditional start of the Christian season of Lent.Īs both a priest in the Episcopal Church as well as a historian of Christianity, I’ve come to appreciate many of the liturgies and practices that characterize the modern church and have their roots in ancient traditions.
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