It seems as though we just finished the Christmas season, and here it is…the beginning of Lent. I have read before that Ash Wednesday is the biggest church day of the Catholic year. It’s not Christmas, or Easter, Ash Wednesday is not even a Holy Day of Obligation. So, why do so many Catholics go to Mass on Ash Wednesday? I have no hard and fast evidence but here are some thoughts….
Maybe so many Catholics attend Ash Wednesday Mass because we realize that we are sinners and need God’s forgiveness and guidance back to Him. Perhaps, we actually want others to know we are proud to be Catholic and everyone will notice that we are marked with ashes no matter where we travel today. Possibly, it is because we are ready to start over, like a new year’s resolution, and rid our souls of our vices. Just maybe, it’s because we want to be closer to God and on Ash Wednesday we think God is more merciful.
Whatever the reason, I am pleased that people go to Ash Wednesday Mass. It tells me that people are thinking about God, and giving God at least an hour of their time. Lent is all about giving up something, hopefully a vice (bad habit), and trying to replace it with a virtue (good habit). Our bad habits create a distance between us and God. The more good habits we secure the closer we come to God. This Lent find a way to draw closer to God, he is constantly trying to get closer to you.
