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Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer.

Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday.

Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, he speaks the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (From Catholic Online)

I am an Episcopalian and tonight I will go to my parish, St. Peters Episcopal to receive ashes and to begin my personal journey in this Lenten season. I think its important to share experiences like this that makes ones faith story real. For many its giving up something or fasting during this season but some take on new things to bring them closer to Christ and to make the world a better place.

The Episcopal Church has a prayer and scripture readings about today, click here to check it out.

To my brothers and sisters in the faith I walk with you during this time. To everyone may God bless and keep you.

There seems to be a lot of shaming in the media today or perhaps it’s the bravery and anonymity of people on social media baiting people into saying really nasty and negative things. What I find sad is when people venerate people for being in their minds the best thing since sliced bread and oxygen while tearing another person down for not being good enough in their minds.

Peyton Manning gets lauded in these parts while Cam Newton is vilified for one reason or another. Facebook can be a bastion of judgmental people (I have been one at times) but there have been some venomous comments made about famous people because they don’t fall in line with their politics or religious slant.

Now I am not without fault but there are some who are very nasty because they have been taught they have to be to elevate their position in an argument. A lot of shaming is a result of hidden prejudice and discrimination. It seems like the volume of people online is deafening and disappointing. Maybe we need to turn down the noise and have constructive dialogue.

Maybe we should all chill out. Take a time out. Say something nice for a change.

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