Penitence

February 16

I am thankful for penitence, those times when you confess your sins and misdeads and ask for forgiveness. Penitence allows us to figuratively, or actually, erase our slates and begin again. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is the great day of penitence which leads up to 40 days of self sacrifice and fasting culminating in Easter.

Many churches put crosses with ash on foreheads as a sign of penitence. At my church, cares, sins, and worries are written on notecards and then burned collectively to symbolize the forgiveness of our sins by the ultimate sacrifice on the cross.

This photo was taken after my friend Sylvia went to her church on Ash Wednesday and was marked with a cross with ashes on her forehead. She was side lit by natural window light. Editing and slight enhancement of the cross was performed in Photoshop.

ash wednesday

my worries and cares

my sins confessed

are left there in ash

for in You i’m blessed.

© rt tulley