The season of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, has traditionally been a penitential season, a time of preparation for the commemoration of the events of Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection.
In the Bible, ashes applied to the body are sometimes a sign of mourning or repentance (2 Sam. 13:19; Est. 4:1; Job 42:6; Dan. 9:35). "Dust and ashes" are symbolic of humiliation or abasement (Gen. 18:27; Job 30:19). However, the use of ashes is not mandated for any annual observance. The...
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