The Penitenti were a particular class of Christians who had committed very public and widely known sins. They were expelled from all Christian holy places on account of their sins, driven out, just as Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden on account of their sin. After a long and public period of penance throughout Lent they were reconciled to the Body of Christ on Maundy Thursday by the bishop with sacramental absolution after the public confession of their sins.
When we are marked with ashes it is only a tiny remainder of what used to happen when the Christian Faith was first openly practiced in the Roman Empire. The imposition of ashes along with the admonition "Remember man, thou art but dust, and unto dust shalt thou return" reminds us of the truth that we have all sinned, and that as a consequence, we all stand under the sentence of death. We shall all return to the dust of the earth from which we were made.
Like so much in Catholic life and worship, whatever is signed and acted outwardly by the body is an external activity designed to effect changes in the inner soul. Behaviour modification isn’t something recently discovered. The salutary effect of behavioural changes in the body can, with the cooperation of the will, modify attitudes in the inner soul. The Church has always known this.
Of course, this isn't some kind of "self-help" approach to salvation. We cannot save ourselves by mere human works, but rather we are obliged to respond to God. God offers, and we respond. And our response must involve more than smiles, pious thoughts and good wishes. Our response is found in our human activity. As the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”
When we are marked with ashes it is only a tiny remainder of what used to happen when the Christian Faith was first openly practiced in the Roman Empire. The imposition of ashes along with the admonition "Remember man, thou art but dust, and unto dust shalt thou return" reminds us of the truth that we have all sinned, and that as a consequence, we all stand under the sentence of death. We shall all return to the dust of the earth from which we were made.
Like so much in Catholic life and worship, whatever is signed and acted outwardly by the body is an external activity designed to effect changes in the inner soul. Behaviour modification isn’t something recently discovered. The salutary effect of behavioural changes in the body can, with the cooperation of the will, modify attitudes in the inner soul. The Church has always known this.
Of course, this isn't some kind of "self-help" approach to salvation. We cannot save ourselves by mere human works, but rather we are obliged to respond to God. God offers, and we respond. And our response must involve more than smiles, pious thoughts and good wishes. Our response is found in our human activity. As the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”
Jesus said, "It is not those who cry out Lord, Lord, who will be saved; rather, it is those who hear the word of God and keep it." It is our response to God's Word and to His love that will bring about changes within us.