Ash Wednesday signifies the beginning of the Church’s season of Lent. Marking ashes on our foreheads is a public expression of our faith and humility. Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Prayer helps us to get closer to God and remember the promises made for us at our baptism. Through fasting, we give something up to show our love for God and to be more aware of those living in poverty. Almsgiving means to give to others to show we care about justice and we are thankful for what God has given us. 

Lent gets us ready for Easter, the most important time in the Church. Through prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we remember Jesus’s death and resurrection. Jesus brought the promise of hope to all people so that we may, “have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). As we live into that fullness, may we come together to unite against poverty with love and hope.