Leo Speckman prays at St. John Catholic Church in San Marcos on Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Western Christian calendar. It marks the beginning of a 40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting. 03.05. 2014 LAURA SKELDING/AMERICAN-STATESMAN 030614 Ash PHOTO
Syndication: Austin American-Statesman
(New York, NY)) — Today is Ash Wednesday. Catholics around the world are marking the beginning of Lent. Many will go to church to have a priest place ashes on their forehead. The ashes symbolize mourning and penance. They also remind Catholics of their mortality. Many Christians give up something tangible for Lent such as liquor or a favorite food. They may also reflect on their lives and decide whether to make changes. It’s all part of a conscious effort to purify themselves for Good Friday, which marks the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, and for Easter Sunday, which celebrates his resurrection.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan will be among the many places where New Yorkers can get ashes today. The bishop for the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Church says he will distribute ashes to migrants.
