18/02/2026
FEBRUARY 18 | ASH WEDNESDAY
Beginning of Lenten Season
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season in the Church’s calendar and is observed as a day of prayer, fasting, and repentance. The Lenten Season, which lasts forty days, commemorates the time Jesus Christ spent fasting and praying in the desert, as narrated in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 4:1–11). During this period, we are invited to imitate Christ’s sacrifice through prayer, self-discipline, fasting, and almsgiving, preparing their hearts for the celebration of Easter and deepening their relationship with God.
On this day, ashes—usually made from burned palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday—are placed on the forehead in the shape of a cross, accompanied by the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” This day reminds us of our mortality and calls us to conversion and spiritual renewal by inviting us to reflect on our lives, turn away from sin, and recommit ourselves to faith, prayer, and acts of charity.