On Ash Wednesday, as Christians receive an ash cross on their foreheads in a church service, they're reminded that "you are dust / And to dust you shall return."
This is why a particular command from the Bible to pray without drawing attention to oneself may seem a bit strange in light of the current practices of Ash Wednesday, the start of the liturgical season of Lent.
"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward" (Matthew 6:5).
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The verse is from the Gospel of Matthew, one of the three synoptic Gospels in the New Testament. It's credited to St. Matthew, a man who was called by Jesus to be one of his disciples.
Not much is known about St. Matthew — who is credited with writing the Gospel of Matthew, says Christian website Overviewbible.com – he appears only seven times in the Bible.
It is a common practice on Ash Wednesday to get an ash cross – a symbol of repentance – placed on one's forehead. (Getty Images)
The ashes used on Ash Wednesday each year come from the burned palm fronds of the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations.
Typically, ashes are distributed during a liturgy, but in recent years, "pop-up ashes" have emerged.
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Those who wear ashes on their forehead are not signifying how holy or righteous they are, said Fr. Patrick Finn of Maine, the parochial vicar at Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston, Lisbon Falls and Sabbatus, Maine.
Instead of a display of holiness, wearing ashes means something else entirely.
"The value of the ashes on the forehead is first of all that they remind their wearer of the need to repent in concrete ways."
It means the person is a sinner.
"The value of the ashes on the forehead is first of all that they remind their wearer of the need to repent in concrete ways," Finn told Fox News Digital.
In Jesus' time, sackcloths and ashes were used as a public display of repentance, says Bible Study Tools.
Humanity, said Fr. Patrick Finn of Maine (shown at right), is always in need of renewal — and Lent is the perfect time to "hold nothing back" in terms of one's relationship with God. (iStock; Fr. Patrick Finn)
While sackcloths have fallen out of use, the meaning of wearing ashes on Ash Wednesday has stayed the same.
"I probably shouldn’t be too eager to wash off a visible sign that reminds me of my utter dependence upon God," said Finn.
Wearing ashes is "a tremendous witness value," Finn said — not to draw attention, but "to help others remember their need for God."
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Humanity, he said, "is always in need of renewal."
"And that’s not just an abstract thing. I am in need of renewal, and in the very particular circumstances of my own life," he said.
The palm branches from last year during Holy Week are burned to prepare for this year’s Ash Wednesday. (iStock)
Lent, said Finn, is a time to "reorient ourselves to God and the eternal — all that is ultimately true, good, and beautiful."
This Lent, said Finn, a person should aim to "dive in" and "hold nothing back."
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"Be converted to Jesus in whatever new manner He might place before you this season," he said.
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