
Ash Wednesday is a time for renewal and 'remembering the need for God,' says Maine priest
Fox News
On Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, Fr. Patrick Finn of Prince of Peace in Maine reflects on Matthew 6:5 — and says ashes are not a sign of holiness, but rather a sign of sinfulness.
"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward" (Matthew 6:5). "The value of the ashes on the forehead is first of all that they remind their wearer of the need to repent in concrete ways." Christine Rousselle is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.
The verse is from the Gospel of Matthew, one of the three synoptic Gospels in the New Testament. It's credited to St. Matthew, a man who was called by Jesus to be one of his disciples.













