Ash WednesdayAsh Wednesday

What is Ash Wednesday?What is Ash Wednesday?

It marks the beginning of LentIt marks the beginning of Lent

40 days not counting Sundays before the 40 days not counting Sundays before the celebration of Resurrectioncelebration of Resurrection

How to Determine the Date ofHow to Determine the Date ofResurrection SundayResurrection Sunday

Start with the year and add 1Start with the year and add 1– 2006 + 1 = 20072006 + 1 = 2007

Divide by 19Divide by 19– 2006 / 19 = 105 r 122006 / 19 = 105 r 12

Ignore the answer but keep the remainder Ignore the answer but keep the remainder and apply it to the following chartand apply it to the following chart

Resurrection Sunday is the first Sunday Resurrection Sunday is the first Sunday following the date on the chart following the date on the chart

Ash Wednesday ChartAsh Wednesday Chart

0 – March 270 – March 27 10 - 10 - April 5April 51 – April 141 – April 14 11 – March 2511 – March 252 – April 32 – April 3 12 – April 1312 – April 133 – March 233 – March 23 13 – April 213 – April 24 – April 114 – April 11 14 – March 2214 – March 225 – March 315 – March 31 15 – April 1015 – April 106 – April 186 – April 18 16 – March 3016 – March 307 – April 87 – April 8 17 – April 1717 – April 178 – March 288 – March 28 18 – April 718 – April 79 – April 169 – April 16

TraditionTradition

Ash Wednesday and Lent are traditions of Ash Wednesday and Lent are traditions of our early church fathersour early church fathers

To observe or not to observeTo observe or not to observe

Aelfric (955 – 1020)Aelfric (955 – 1020)

We read in the books both in the Old Law We read in the books both in the Old Law and in the New that the men who repented and in the New that the men who repented

of their sins bestrewed themselves with of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed their bodies with ashes and clothed their bodies with

sackcloth. Now let us do this little at the sackcloth. Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast. – repent of our sins during the Lenten fast. –

Lives of the SaintsLives of the Saints

Apostolic Constitutions – Book IV , Apostolic Constitutions – Book IV , Section III, Paragraph XIIISection III, Paragraph XIII

……after which the fast of Lent is to be after which the fast of Lent is to be observed by you as containing a memorial observed by you as containing a memorial of our Lord's mode of life and legislation. of our Lord's mode of life and legislation. But let this solemnity be observed before But let this solemnity be observed before

the fast of the passover.the fast of the passover.

MourningMourning

Then Tamar put ashes on her Then Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her robe of head, and tore her robe of

many colors that was on her many colors that was on her and laid her hand on her head and laid her hand on her head and went away crying bitterly. and went away crying bitterly.

- 2Samuel 13:19- 2Samuel 13:19

MourningMourning

When Mordecai learned all that had When Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on happened, he tore his clothes and put on

sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud midst of the city. He cried out with a loud

and bitter cry. He went as far as the front of and bitter cry. He went as far as the front of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. And in king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. And in every province where the king’s command every province where the king’s command

and decree arrived, there was great and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing, and many lay in weeping, and wailing, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes - Esther 4: 1, 3sackcloth and ashes - Esther 4: 1, 3

RepentanceRepentance

Therefore I abhor myself and Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. - repent in dust and ashes. -

Job 42:6Job 42:6

RepentanceRepentance

Then I set my face toward the Lord God to Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. And I with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God and made prayed to the LORD my God and made

confessions, and said, “O Lord, great and confessions, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and

mercy with those who love Him, and with mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from

Your precepts and Your judgments. – Your precepts and Your judgments. – Daniel 9:3Daniel 9:3

40 Days of Fasting40 Days of Fasting

Deuteronomy 9 – MosesDeuteronomy 9 – Moses

1Kings 19 – Elijah1Kings 19 – Elijah

Matthew 4- JesusMatthew 4- Jesus

Apostolic Constitutions – Book IV , Apostolic Constitutions – Book IV , Section III, Paragraph XVSection III, Paragraph XV

But He commanded us to fast on the fourth But He commanded us to fast on the fourth and sixth days of the week; the former on and sixth days of the week; the former on

account of His being betrayed, and the account of His being betrayed, and the latter on account of His passion.latter on account of His passion.

Fasting and PrayerFasting and Prayer

But as for me, when they were sick, My But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself

with fasting; And my prayer would return to with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart.my own heart.

- - Psalm 35:13Psalm 35:13

Fasting in MarriageFasting in Marriage

1Corinthians 7:5 – Do not deprive one 1Corinthians 7:5 – Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and come together again so and prayer, and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.your lack of self-control.

Why not Sundays?Why not Sundays?

Matthew 9:14, 15 – Then the disciples of Matthew 9:14, 15 – Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”and then they will fast.”