By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture - American Catholics—even ordinarily inactive Catholics—flock to their churches (on Ash Wednesday) today to receive their ashes, to display them proudly. Already today (I am writing at 9 am) a half-dozen people I don’t know have sent me selfies, showing how they look with ashes on their foreheads... Why is Ash Wednesday so popular? Why are my social-media accounts clogged with reminders that today is Ash Wednesday? Why are inactive Catholics so anxious to display their allegiance to the faith—on this day of all days, when the message that the Church sends us is so grim?