ASHES AT LENT:
Fear or Love?
by Dr. Alexander John Shaia
Does our “Ritual of Ashes” offer us a mark of fear or the seal of love?
Let’s look back to Christianity’s first six centuries. Our earliest ancestors had no Ritual of Ashes during the season of Lent.
Beginning in the late 2nd century, the season of Lent originally expressed the awe-inspiring spirituality of Theosis. The concept of Theosis asserts that everyone is conceived in the image of God and gradually transformed by divine grace into the image God intends!
Our ancestors opened the season of Lent by celebrating a “Ritual of Election” that marked each person as a beloved daughter or so of God. Today, we might widen our understanding of election to the very Cosmos. For the Cosmos is a visible expression of the God’s ongoing breath – and so are all of us!
In today's Orthodox practice, we see a continuation of this early Christian tradition.
Our Orthodox Christian sisters and brothers have no ritual of ashes. Rather, they begin Lent on “Clean Monday” with family outings, picnics on hills, and kite flying - all signifying the lifting of spirits.
When did the use of Ashes begin?
It appears that ash was first used in the 5th Century—as a mark placed on penitents who were publicly rejoining the community after having committed some harmful action. Then later in the 6th Century, as Lent took on the spirituality of atonement, the rite of ash was extended to the entire community.
We can now understand that the rite of ash did not signify being inspired by love, but rather a gesture expressing remorse and public penance.
The truth is we have a much richer and far more ancient spirituality than that of atonement. Our ancient ancestors provided us not just a ritual but an entire Season of Lent crafted from Theosis with the intent that we would know we are beloved and deepened in our love for each other.
