Christians gathered at parishes around Bloomington on Wednesday to observe Ash Wednesday. The day marks the beginning of Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter.
While Catholics predominantly observe Ash Wednesday, other denominations of Christianity participate as well.
On Ash Wednesday, Christians are often encouraged by their church to fast and pray. Many parishioners also attend religious services and receive ashes made from blessed palm branches on their foreheads.
ST. PAUL CATHOLIC CENTER
A priest traced a cross onto a man’s forehead with ashes and muttered, “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
The man bowed, and the line of parishioners moved forward down the aisle. Around them, attendees sang the song “Ashes” by Tom Conry to piano accompaniment.
“We rise again from ashes to create ourselves anew,” parishioners sang.
Mary Bolander , parishioner and IU sophomore, said the ashes and the idea of returning to dust remind Catholics that life is temporary and the afterlife is what is really important.
Bolander said by receiving the ashes and focusing on penance during Lent, Catholics also undergo a cleansing process.
“We cleanse ourselves of our grudges and sins and anything that may keep us from really growing closer to God,” she said.
As the song continued, parishioners sang, “We offer you our failures. We offer you attempts.”
Bolander said these words signify a common desire among Catholics to better themselves during Lent, but Bolander has her own idea of how she wants to improve herself.
“I want to sin less,” she said. “But I also want to be more open and receiving to what God wants for me. I want to listen.”
During the homily, the priest said he encouraged Catholics to reflect and realize things about their lives they should change in the name of God.
“If not now, when?” he said to parishioners. “When will we change our ways?”
For parishioner Mary Gregory, that time is now.
She said Ash Wednesday is the perfect time for self-reflection before Catholics go out and make life changes during Lent.
“It’s a time of thanksgiving and preparation for Lent and then for Easter,” Gregory said. “We fast and pray as penance so that we can be better.”
When the sun rose and light began to filter through the stained glass, Mass was already wrapping up.
“Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,” the priest said to the congregation.
“Thanks be to God,” they said in response.
TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
A man walked into Trinity Episcopal Church and left with ashes on his forehead five minutes later.
In front of the church, a sign reads “Ashes On the Go.” Inside, Rev. Charles Dupree stood in the center aisle waiting for people to drop by.
While he respects the tradition of attending Ash Wednesday Mass and offers such services, Dupree said the concept of requiring it is outdated. He also said Christians are not always able to attend services on Wednesdays.
As a result, there is a movement within the Episcopal Church to allow parishioners to receive ashes without sitting through Mass, he added.
“We can’t always expect people to come to us,” he said. “It’s about meeting people where they are.”
This movement also reflects religious teaching, Dupree said.
“It’s the idea of finding Jesus in the streets, on the sidewalks and on the sidelines,” he said before pausing to place ashes on a passerby’s forehead.
Despite this change in tradition, Dupree said the core of Ash Wednesday is still the same. It is still a day of reflection, penance and sacrifice.
“It is a time for us to put our trust in God and put our faith in the future and what we’re capable of becoming,” he said.
Throughout history, Dupree said people have worn ashes to signify grief. Now, wearing ashes on Ash Wednesday allows believers to grieve for their own sins.
He said applying the ashes also reminds him people’s lives are temporary and he only has a certain amount of time to do God’s work on Earth.
The ashes are an equalizer, Dupree said.
“I am no better than you, and you are no better than me because we are all made up of the same stuff and will return to the same stuff,” he said.
Above all, Dupree said Ash Wednesday and Lent in general offer Christians a reset button.
“We fall short of being our best selves, Dupree said. “This is the opportunity to turn around and to do things differently.”
ST. CHARLES BORROMEO CATHOLIC CHURCH
Parishioners piled into St. Charles Borromeo Church, spilling out into the standing room. Each one lined up to receive the ashes and be blessed by the words, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
Parishioner Kathryn Brinser said the concept of repentance is central to Catholics during the Lenten season.
“It’s about bettering yourself and being closer to God,” Brinser said.
To Brinser, bettering herself involves spending less money on material things so that she can put her faith first.
Parishioner Steve Brinser said he hoped to better himself by limiting his TV, computer and cell phone use.
“I want to make more quiet time for myself to focus on my relationship with God,” he said.
Ash Wednesday and Lent in general is also a time to reflect, parishioner Mary Dedek said. Through reflection and self-sacrifice, Dedek said Catholics can reach their ultimate goal of drawing closer to God.
“It’s a great time to be continually thinking about God and what he has done for us,” Dedek said.
Father Richard Dyer said a main component of Ash Wednesday is fasting for Catholics between ages 18 and 59.
He said this fasting usually continues on Fridays for 40 days until Good Friday, which is the day Catholics commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus.
Fasting is powerful in its ability to bring people closer to God, Dyer said.
“By fasting, we don’t let anything in this world be above our faith,” Dyer said. “It puts our love for God above all else.”
As Mass came to an end, parishioners bowed their heads for a blessing.
Then one by one, parishioners knelt, did the sign of the cross and left the church with ashes on their foreheads, each one ready for the coming of Lent.
“Ash Wednesday makes sure we are ready for this time of self-sacrifice,” Dedek said. “It makes sure we are ready to put God first and become closer to him.”
