The faithful of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington joined with Catholics around the world to mark the Feb. 14 start of Lent by attending Ash Wednesday Masses and beginning their spiritual preparations for Easter.

At the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., Cardinal Wilton Gregory was the principal celebrant and homilist and distributed ashes during a midday Mass. Several hundred people attended the Mass, one of six offered in both English and Spanish at the cathedral that day. It was also streamed on several media platforms.

Addressing his “dearest brothers and sisters in the Lord,” Cardinal Gregory called Ash Wednesday “our unique Catholic branding day,” and said it is “the smudge on our foreheads that reminds us and those who see us that Lent has begun… It reminds not only ourselves but all who see us of this holy season that begins today.”

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, the 40-day penitential season in preparation for Easter. Lent this year continues until the Friday of the Passion of the Lord (Good Friday), March 29. Easter this year will be celebrated on Sunday, March 31.

“It’s easy to identify Catholics on Ash Wednesday by the sign that we wear,” Cardinal Gregory said. “It is much more challenging to recognize us on all the other days of the season of Lent unless we really allow the penances and prayer and works of charity that we begin this day to take hold of us and to allow our hearts to be changed and softened and renewed.”

He said acts of penances, acts of charity and a prayerful spirit “must become the signs that we present to the world.”

The cardinal encouraged the faithful to be “living signs of this holy time of year by the way we conduct ourselves throughout these next six or seven weeks.” He added that being such a sign to others “is a struggle to which we commit ourselves this day.”

 “It is relatively easy to tell those of us who are Catholics on Ash Wednesday,” the cardinal reiterated, “but maybe a bit more difficult to recognize us on the other days of Lent unless we allow our spiritual identity and transformation to take the place of those ashes.”

Reminding the faithful that “the Father listens, that He loves, that He will answer us,” Cardinal Gregory prayed that “as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.”

In blessing the ashes that were distributed during the Mass, Cardinal Gregory prayed to God that “through our steadfast observance of Lent, we may gain pardon for our sins and newness of life after the likeness of your risen Son.”

The faithful, as they received the ashes, were reminded, “you are dust and to dust you shall return” or “to repent and believe in the Gospel.”

During the Mass, among the prayers offered were those for peace in the Holy Land, Ukraine, Sudan and the whole world and that “through our prayer, fasting and almsgiving that we may return to the Lord with our whole hearts.”

All Fridays of Lent are days of total abstinence from meat, a law that binds all Catholics age 14 and older. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of total abstinence from meat, a law that binds all Catholics age 14 and older. It is also a day of fasting, that is, people are limited to one single full meal on that day. The law of fasting binds all Catholics from their 18th year until up to and including their 59th birthday. All Fridays of Lent are days of total abstinence from meat, a law that binds all Catholics age 14 and older.

Lent, as Cardinal Gregory pointed out in his homily, is traditionally marked by almsgiving, fasting and prayer. The cardinal prayed that “our Lenten fast be pleasing to the Lord and be for us a healing remedy.”

During Lent, many parishes, Catholic schools and religious education programs participate in Catholic Relief Services’ Rice Bowl program. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the U.S. bishops’ overseas humanitarian outreach.

The CRS Lenten program features a cardboard “rice bowl” that participants fill with coins during the Lenten season. The collected money is then presented to CRS. Seventy-five percent of the funds are used to support CRS programs around the world. The other 25 percent is returned to the diocese or archdiocese in which it was collected to be used for hunger and poverty alleviation programs on the local level. 

Also during this time, many parishes offer Stations of the Cross, penance services and increased opportunities for Confession and other events to help the faithful spiritually prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Our Lord.

As it has done in years past, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is once again teaming with the Diocese of Arlington for the Lenten “The Light is On for You” an initiative where Catholic churches across the D.C. metro area are open for quiet prayer and Confession throughout Lent. Visit https://thelightison.org/ to find a list of participating parishes and tips on how to make a good Confession.