Please Join Us
As we leave the feasts of Shrove or Fat Tuesday behind, now is the time to begin a season of fasting and repentance with the observance of Ash Wednesday on February 18th.
Service Times
Three service times are available at 7:30 AM, 12:10 PM and 7:30 PM
Location
Saint Thomas Episcopal Church – The Sanctuary, see Directions and Campus Map
There will be either signs or someone to direct you at the entrance to the sanctuary.
What is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday is traditionally marked as the first day of Lent, a 40 day period of time (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter. This is a time many Christians set aside to remember Christ’s life during His 40 days of fasting in the desert. The period from Ash Wednesday to Easter excluding Sundays mirrors these forty days that are segmented by six Sundays, considered celebration days where we gather as a faith community to commemorate Christ’s resurrection.
Christian Ritual
According to Wikipedia, Ash Wednesday ritual is described this way:
“Ashes are ceremonially placed on the heads of Christians on Ash Wednesday, either by being sprinkled over their heads or, more often, by being marked on their foreheads as a visible cross.
The words used traditionally to accompany this gesture are:
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. – (Based on Genesis 3:19)
In the 1969 revision of the Roman Rite, an alternative formula was introduced and given first place:
Repent, and believe in the Gospel. – (Mark 1:15)”
These acts of observance are designed to guide us on our spiritual journeys to draw us closer as a faith community to Jesus Christ, whom we place our faith.
Questions?
If you have questions or special needs, please Contact Us.
