Ash
Wednesday – The Start of the Lenten Season Ash Wednesday is one of the days that draws the faithful to their local church. On Ash Wednesday the baptismal gesture of signing the forehead is copied, but with ashes, rather than oil. The Sign of the Cross in ashes highlights the two themes of the Lenten season: the ash marks it as a penitential season, and the Sign of the Cross marks it as a season of contemplating baptism. Ashes will be distributed at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, 89 Ridge St., Newark on Wednesday, February 13, 2002 during the 12 noon Mass and the 7 p.m. Spanish Mass. Catholics are asked to regard the Lenten season as a serious time for spiritual renewal. The Church also recommends that Catholics use fasting and abstinence as physical means to spiritual discernment. On a day of fast, only one full meal is permitted for Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 years of age. On a day of abstinence, Catholics who have reached 14 years of age may not eat meat. Ash
Wednesday and Good Friday are days of both fast and abstinence;
other Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence. Fridays of the year
outside of Lent are designated as days of penance. Instead of abstaining
from meat, individuals are encouraged to perform some other practice
of voluntary self-denial as penance during the rest of the year.
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