Good Morning: Ash Wednesday makes its mark as Lent officially begins

It is officially that time of year again to give something up you think would be impossible to live without. Most won’t be able to stick to without some serious sacrifice.

Lent has officially begun.

Wednesday, many people were seen walking around campus with a prominent black smudge on their forehead. It caught me off guard at first, but soon I realized what was happening. But in one class I heard a boisterous, "What is that on your forehead?" In others, there were just blatant stares from other classmates. Almost as if the mark somehow denoted the end of the world.

I was completely taken aback by how many people didn’t know anything about the beginning of the season of Lent, Ash Wednesday. I’ve celebrated it as far back as I can remember.

I have always gone to church that Wednesday night to have the ashes rubbed on my forehead in the sign of the cross. Usually the pastor would say some type of prayer over you such as "repent and hear the good news."

To me, it’s tradition.

Walking around Franklin and being in class with those who did have the ash was nothing new to me, until I heard those people explaining it to everyone else.

And those who did know a little about the day didn’t realize that it’s not just Catholics who participate--other certain Christian denominations join in, too. Personally, I’m a Methodist and we recognize the day as well.

As I thought about it more and more, and tried to remember why I had ever partaken, I had no idea why it’s done. But I soon found out.

Ash Wednesday, in the Catholic and Protestant churches, is the day of repentance before Lent, where you are asked to give something up, or fast, in preparation for Easter.

The ashes express the mourning you are going through because in Biblical times, people who needed to repent would dust themselves in ashes to express their sorrows.

Researching the subject made me remember, but it still stunned me that I took part in something that I had no idea about. It makes you think of what else you might routinely be following without question in your life.

Lent’s the time for giving something up. And I’ve chosen to give up writing this column.