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Two Weeks Until Ash Wednesday: Why the Smudges Still Matter (and How to Get Ready), by Abigail James – Brown Pelican Society of Lousiana

Two Weeks Until Ash Wednesday: Why the Smudges Still Matter (and How to Get Ready), by Abigail James

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US Navy employees receive the sacramental ashes during an Ash Wednesday celebration (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brian May/Public domain)

By Abigail James,  Catholic Online News, February 4, 2026

Every year, it happens.

You’re running errands, scrolling your phone, or sitting in traffic—and suddenly you notice it. Someone with a gray smudge on their forehead. Then another. And another.

Ash Wednesday has arrived.

Even in a world that changes fast, this ancient Catholic practice hasn’t gone anywhere. In fact, it might be more important now than ever.

With two weeks to go until Ash Wednesday, now is the perfect time to understand why it matters, what the ashes really mean, and how to prepare—without panic, guilt, or turning Lent into a spiritual fitness challenge.

What Ash Wednesday Actually Is (and Isn’t)

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the Church’s 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving leading up to Easter. It takes place 46 days before Easter because Sundays are excluded as feast days. …

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