From Ashes to Palms
Lent begins with the ceremony of the imposition of ashes, which, as the Missal specifies, are “made from olive branches or other trees that were blessed the previous year.” What, then, is the significance of the palms, and what is the significance of the ashes—one at the entrance, the other at the exit of Lent?
The palms mark the end of Lent. They are blessed and held by the faithful to acclaim the Savior, the Messiah, Christ the King. They are then placed in homes to adorn each crucifix. They represent the work of Lent, which Christians strive to accomplish as best they can, uniting it with the redemption of Jesus Christ. The sanctification obtained through the Lenten exercises is for the glory of Christ and is also entrusted to His care for the rest of the year.
Yet these palms must be burned. They represent our merits, but what are our merits worth? Have we attained the goal, which is perfect love of Christ? Jesus says in the Gospel:
"So you also, when you have done all that was commanded of you, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do." (Luke 17:10)
Each year, a new Lent, a new beginning is needed. The same palms from the past year are taken down from the crucifixes, brought back to the church, and turned into ashes.
In the past, ashes were imposed only on public penitents (those who had to atone for a public and scandalous sin). “Towards the end of the 11th century, when public penance became rarer, the Church prescribed the imposition of ashes for all the faithful, including clerics.”
We all must remember the nothingness of our nature and our works: “Remember, man, that you are dust.” Let no one glorify himself, take pride in his own excellence, or presume the perfection of his works. Before God, all this is… dust!
Lent lasts forty days. Since Sundays are outside of Lent, some fervent Gallicans added four extra days to complete the four weeks. This is why, first in Gaul and later in Rome, ashes are given on the Wednesday before Quadragesima.
Ultimately, the number of days does not matter—so long as new palms are born from these ashes.
Abbé Lionel Héry FSSPX
