In preaching repentance, he chastised, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes” ( Matt. As the prophet Daniel exclaimed: “I turned to the Lord God, to seek help, in prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes” ( Dan. Putting on “sackcloth and ashes” was a typical response to avert impending woes such as a military defeat or famine. ![]() In the Old Testament, ashes indicated mourning or repentance. The use of ashes on Ash Wednesday has pre-Christian roots. ![]() From Biblical times through the Medieval Age, the use of ashes became an outward sign of a person’s desire for repentance, and, ultimately, a reminder of one’s morality. Like other practices in the Church, being signed with ashes on the first day of Lent is an ancient custom that has undergone some development. What is the origin of beginning Lent with Ash Wednesday? When did the practice of using ashes start?
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