Wednesday, February 26 at 7pm

“I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the

observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance;

by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and

meditating on God’s holy Word. And, to make a right beginning

of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now

kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.”

from, the Book of Common Prayer, Ash Wednesday

Although the structure of the Ash Wednesday service is much the same as the usual Sunday Eucharist, there are a few important differences. Ashes (a sign of regret and mourning) are marked on our foreheads in the shape of a cross with the words “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Ash Wednesday begins the 40 days of the penitential Lenten with an exhortation to the observance of a Holy Lent. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, a 40-day period dedicated to reflection, prayer and fasting ahead of Easter.

On Ash Wednesday,the priest applies ashes to our foreheads in the shape of a cross. People generally wear the ashes — which symbolize penance, mourning and mortality — throughout the day to publicly express their faith and penance.

The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are made from the burning of palms blessed in the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. The following year, the fronds are burned to create the ashes for Ash Wednesday. The ashes are usually mixed with Holy Water or oil, and carry the scent of incense.

Today is Ash Wednesday.

For many of us, the smudge on people’s foreheads signifies the first day of Lent. The images above are made by, Photographer Greg Miller, who has been documenting this ritual on the streets of New York City for the past 20 years. His book, Unto Dust, features 40 portraits from his decades of work. You can see more of his images, by following the link, below:

https://www.npr.org/2018/02/14/585638036/on-streets-of-new-york-the-penitent-pause-for-a-portrait