Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the 40-day season of Lent, when we revisit, retell, and re-enter the story of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, leading to his suffering and death.

Lent is a time to reflect on our own lives, remember the life of Jesus, and repent of those things in our lives that do not look like Jesus. The ashes of Ash Wednesday are a symbol of mortality and repentance. The mark of the ashes on our foreheads remind us that, even in our sin, God marks us as his own.