Grace Cathedral

Grace Cathedral

Article | February 15, 2021

Ash Wednesday 2021: This year, let’s begin freely

Blog|Grace

“To mark ourselves with earth recalls that death is not only a human reality, but also a planetary one.”

Lent is coming up soon. In case you missed their email in your inbox we’re sharing this invitation from our Cannon Precentor Jeffrey Hookom and Succentor, The Rev. Anna E. Rossi.

We confess to still having a few Christmas cards out, but Lent is just around the corner. Join us on Ash Wednesday, February 17 to begin the 40-day Lenten pilgrimage. We’ll offer three distinct online services, each with teaching to reimagine ashes and signs of our mortality. The liturgies are designed to be sufficient observances in themselves, or serve as occasions of prayer throughout your day. 

The health and safety of our community precludes the custom of coming to church to be marked with (“imposition of”) of ashes, and we will not observe that custom this year. We will, however, encourage a practice of marking ourselves with the sign of the cross, using the earth. To mark ourselves with earth recalls that death is not only a human reality, but also a planetary one. The ritual use of something so common grounds the body of our common prayer on Ash Wednesday. Anyone may mark themselves and pray “Remember that I am dust, and to dust I shall return.” For all its gravity, Lent is a time of freedom, beginning wherever we are. This year, let’s begin freely.

We will “see you in church” at the Liturgy for Ash Wednesday.

Our Holy Week and Easter services can be found here.
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