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Catholics worldwide have initiated the 40-day Lenten period on February 14, in anticipation of Easter, which commemorates Jesus Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.
The Lenten season, inaugurated by Ash Wednesday, emphasizes prayer and repentance, leading up to Holy Week’s celebration of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice.
At St. Joseph the Worker, Mumbi Catholic Church, part of the Murang’a Diocese, a large congregation gathered at 6:20 am for Ash Wednesday ceremonies.
During Mass, Rev Fr. Robert Ngaruro encouraged believers to focus on repentance, prayer, fasting, and charity, preparing for Easter’s significance.
Ash Wednesday serves as a reminder of mortality and the importance of repentance, symbolized by the application of ashes and the biblical phrase, “you are dust and unto dust you shall return.”
Fr. Ngaruro urged faithful to engage in acts of mercy, particularly towards the less fortunate, and emphasized the importance of enhancing prayer life and fasting during this solemn period.
The tradition of Ash Wednesday, rooted in Jewish penitential practices, involves the application of ashes in the shape of a cross on the forehead, accompanied by the phrase “you are dust and unto dust you shall return,” using ashes from the previous year’s Palm Sunday palms.
