Shee Jay Axyne Borinaga 
“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
— Genesis 3:19
Ash Wednesday officially marks of the beginning of the Penitential Lenten Season.
Ashes were a symbol of penance and mourning in the Old Testament. And in the New Testament, Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry. Thus, this sacred tradition is observed with repentance, fasting, and distribution of ashes.
In this time of Lent, we are all called to humility and faith in God as we remember His life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection. As the ashes in the image of the holy cross are drawn in our foreheads, may the words “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” echo in our minds and hearts.
