Скачать или смотреть Why Do Catholics Have Ashes On Their Heads? | Ash Wednesday

Why do Catholics have ashes on their heads on Ash Wednesday? What do they mean and where do they come from? Watch this video to find out.

The ashes are made by burning the blessed palms that were distributed the previous year on Palm Sunday, the day when we commemorate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

By burning the palms and turning them into ashes, we symbolize the passing away of earthly things and the need to focus on the eternal, as the priest says when he applies them on our foreheads: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

By receiving the ashes on our heads, we publicly profess our Catholic identity and our commitment to live the Lenten season in a spirit of conversion and renewal. We also invite others to join us in this journey of faith, as we prepare to celebrate the greatest mystery of our faith: the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.