In the United States, the custom is to mark the cross on a person’s forehead, but in other parts of the world, including in Italy, the ashes are sprinkled on a person’s head. The ashes are traditionally made by burning last year’s Palm Sunday palms.
They also remind us that all of creation has the potential to reveal God’s presence and receive his blessing. They help us receive the graces of the sacraments and they help make holy various occasions in our lives. Sacramentals are dynamic signs that help us prepare for receiving the sacraments. Actually, ashes are what we call a “sacramental.”
The act of receiving ashes is not a sacrament. Anyone, including kids and non-Catholics, can receive ashes. On Ash Wednesday the procession to the altar is as diverse as we will ever see it! Mothers carrying babies, toddlers holding on to Dad’s hand, teens, parishioners, neighbors, employees from nearby places of business, the elderly -we all come together to mark the beginning of Lent. Here are some common questions and answers about the day. Kids love Ash Wednesday and they are often interested in the meaning behind the ritual of ashes.
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