Lent begins today...

From the 'little black Lenten book'

"Many ancient people used ashes for religious, magical and medical purposes. Ashes of a certain burned object were considered to have a sacred character. They also signified mourning, penance and mortality.

In the Old Testament, ashes, sprinkled on the head or whole body, were a sign of repentance.

The Christian use of ashes is drawn from the Jewish Tradition. Since the 11th century, receiving ashes on the first day of Lent has been a universal Christian practice.

By wearing a cross of ashes on one's forehead, a person publicly acknowledges their need for penance and the fact that they are mortal. It also expresses their solidarity with all the members of the Church on earth as they enter into the Lenten season together."

--The little black book, Six minute meditations on the Passion according to Luke (vade macum or 'travel with me')