Why do those people have smudges on thier foreheads?

Tammy Allen

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. On Ash Wednesday during a penance service the faithful are blessed with a mixture of ashes and oil made from the blessed palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebration. A cross is traced on their foreheads with the reminder, “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return”, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” or something similar. This is to remind us to repent of our sins in preparation for Easter.
The practice is reminiscent of the Biblical pracitce of wearing sackcloth and ashes as a form of public penance or mourning. The entire period of Lent, which is 40 days leading up to Easter (excepting Sundays, which are always days of celebration), is a time of fasting and abstinance, to remind us of the suffering Christ underwent for us. The 40 day period is significant, because that is how long Jesus fasted in the desert. Of course we don't fast completely like He did, we can eat small amounts of food, except meat. Nowadays, in the Catholic Church we only fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday with all other Fridays in Lent being days of abstinance from meat.
Catholics aren't the only ones who observe Lent, several other branches of Christianity do as well. Fasting is prescribed in the Bible by Jesus immediately after He teaches the disciples the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:17-18, “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Notice that Jesus says when you fast, not if you fast. It is also promised that God will reward those who fast with the proper attitude. So think about what you could fast from to bring yourself closer to God this year during Lent. Is it TV, the computer, or something else that is distracting you from your walk with Christ? This would be a great opportunity to devote more time to prayer as well as taking away things that aren't good for us spiritually. When you see people with a 'smudge' on their foreheads today, remember why, and think about what you can do as a public sign to proclaim your faith.