On February 18th, Billings Central students and staff attended Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Patrick’s Co-Cathedral to start off their Lenten season. As each student received ashes on their foreheads, they were reminded of the sacred importance of Lent and the opportunities Lent offers for growing in a deeper relationship with God. Not only are the ashes a personal symbol, but also a symbol and statement of faith as students go out into the community. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, but it is also a wonderful way for the community of Billings Central to come together.
Father John Pankratz walking down the aisle after an Ash Wednesday mass at St. Patrick’s Co-Cathedral (Courtesy: Kari Adams)
The significance of receiving ashes on your forehead during the Mass can deeply affect people. Junior theology teacher Mr. Kahn said, “I know from my experience that physical reminders always help the mental and spiritual side of things. I think the physical, ‘getting the ashes on your forehead’ helps a lot more than you even think.” As Mr. Kahn explained, the physical reminder of the ashes is just as much of a reminder to the individual as it is to those who see the ashes on others’ forehead. The ashes provide a way for people to tell a person’s true identity in Christ, and they are an impactful reminder to each person of the duty of being a disciple of Christ.
Apart from the personal impact of receiving the ashes, it is also a fantastic way for students to evangelize and unite as a community. Sophomore Penny Paquette recognizes the important meaning of coming together as a community to begin the season of Lent. Paquette shares her insight into this experience as she states, “Everyone becomes one community when we are all at Mass together.” While Ash Wednesday brings the school community together as one, it also provides opportunities for members of the school community to evangelize outside of Billings Central. Paquette also values this opportunity of evangelization as she explained, “It’s cool because you get to embrace your “Catholicness” and get to go out into the world”. She further explained her personal experience of evangelizing with the ashes as she said, “You have the ashes, and some people might not know what it is but then you can explain it to them, and it’s a cool symbolic meaning”. As students and members of the school community received the ashes on Ash Wednesday, they were able to unite with everyone as a community of faith.
When the BCCHS community attended Ash Wednesday Mass, they kicked off their season of Lent with the reminder of their identity and mission in Christ. As BCCHS continues through the season of Lent, students are encouraged to take this season as an opportunity to grow in a deeper relationship with God through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Ash Wednesday stands as a powerful reminder to go through this season of Lent with the intention of growing as a disciple of Christ. The Ash Wednesday Mass not only encouraged the school community members to unite as a community of faith, but also to live the disciple life of Christ in our world.
