Wednesday, Feb. 26, is Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of Lent, with Catholics around the world fasting and receiving ashes on their foreheads as a symbol of penance and conversion as they spiritually prepare for Easter.

The 40-day penitential period of prayer, fasting and almsgiving continues until Good Friday, April 10. Easter this year will be celebrated on Sunday, April 12.

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of total abstinence from meat, a law that binds all Catholics age 14 and older. They are also days 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.

The Light Is On for You – the program where most parishes make available on every Wednesday evening of Lent the opportunity for the faithful to go to Confession – will again be conducted in this archdiocese.

A website – https://thelightison.org/ – includes information about why go to Confession; how to make a proper Confession; and a “Confession Finder” where parishes and Confession times are included.