On Ash Wednesday, we must start with ashes.
Ecclesiastes 3:20 speaks to this, when the author says of man and beast alike, “Both go the same place; both were made from the dust, and to the dust they both return”. Our foreheads are marked with ashes, to humble our hearts and remind us that life passes away. These ashes are a symbol of penance, made sacramental by the blessing of the Church and they help us to develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice.