Ash Wednesday 2026

Folks, it’s here: Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season. It is not a holy day of obligation - you do not have to go to Mass or receive ashes - but the fact that many people think it is a holy day of obligation, is a testament to how much we understand the significance and importance of the day. As in, how deeply we feel within ourselves the need for a return to God, for a casting away of all the phoniness we wear throughout the year, which is just what we are called to do during Lent.

Ash Wednesday will always hold a significant place in my life because it is where my journey back to the Catholic Church began. In 2013, I attended Ash Wednesday Mass with some coworkers, at St. Patrick’s Church in the Chinatown/Metro Center neighborhood of Washington, DC. There, the priest remarked on the number of people in the pews and challenged us to come back to daily Mass each week during Lent. I accepted that challenge. I was not a Mass-goer at all, or even practicing the faith. At the same time, in my personal and professional life I was undergoing some dramatic changes which left me brokenhearted and a bit lost. So, going to Mass became a source of solace, and something I wanted more of. From there, I began praying the rosary. From there, I enrolled in RCIA. From there, I started this blog, began writing and speaking - and, well, here we are. God be praised!

The really interesting thing about Lent, to me, is how different it is for each person. A few years ago I wrote an article where I interviewed numerous people about how they were observing Lent - what they were giving up, how they were praying, and so on. The answers were wildly different, from giving up getting manicures and having their house professionally cleaned, to praying as a family, to giving up caffeine, writing handwritten notes to loved ones, and more. And if you read through those ideas you may think, “That’s easy!” or “How would that even help me?” or “That’s too hard.” But for the person who chose that sacrifice, it was what they needed. It goes to show that we are all in our own place in our journey in the faith, and, further, that comparison is not useful in the spiritual life (or, one could argue, ever).

Lastly, if you have not seen it, Pope Leo suggested we all abstain from harsh words and rash judgement this Lent. An excellent reminder that Lenten sacrifices need not even be physical or material. I will be taking his recommendation to heart.

Actually, I’ll throw in one last note: chances are your diocese is running its Bishop’s Lenten Appeal right now. Do give. The Church does so much for us, and so much for people we never see, it is our calling to support that. Though, as today’s Ash Wednesday gospel reminds us, you don’t need to go trumpet your giving, either (from the desire of being praised, deliver me, o Jesus…”).

Remember that, as St. Theresa of Calcutta said, God calls us not to be successful, but to be faithful. I would take that further and say, all that we have, create, and succeed in, is God’s doing, anyway. May our Lenten sacrifices and disposition reflect this trust in God, and belief in the right and true order of things.

Can your Lenten sacrifices benefit the country?

Yesterday morning I was on Morning Air to discuss something that’s been on my mind, what with Lent starting next week (yes, already!) and the continued division in the United States. Recently I realized it’s actually hard to think back to a time when this country wasn’t this way.

Anyway, what do Lent and the state of affairs in America have to do with each other? Well, it made me wonder, could we direct some of the intentions of our Lenten sacrifices to the betterment of the peace, happiness, and culture of this country and its inhabitants? That’s what we talked about, which you can listen to here.

I also added in the need to prayer for the future of the church and its leaders in this country, because I believe - as maybe you do, too - that the Church has the answers. For “human flourishing,” as they say. For what drives the human spirit, and can lead us back to sanity, if we want it.

Regarding Lent, my own goals are to give up all sweets, per usual, except on Sundays. I also recently learned that Bishop Barron has a really lovely night prayer, which I wlll add to the end of my day. Remember for whatever you are giving up, whenever you “feel” it - the hunger pain, the self-control not to gossip, the lack of new clothes bought, and so on - offer that up to God. Perhaps for peace, stability, and a return to some semblance of moral organization in this country (or your own, if you’re abroad).

Skip the doomscrolling!

You can listen to my interview from this morning here. The topic? Prayerful alternatives to before-bedtime doomscrolling. A few takeaways:

• Put down the phone, pick up the beads. Rosary beads, of course.

• Give yourself space for an evening examination of conscience (“the examen”).

• Swap out mindless news feed reading for listening to a homily or reading an edifying book or passage from the Bible.

• Or - just go to sleep! You can do that. I give you permission.

This is a great topic to take into Lent, too. Giving up doomscrolling is a wonderful Lenten plan. Do you know what you’re “doing” for Lent yet?

Enjoy the conversation!