Why Ash Monday?

As Maronite’s we celebrate Ash Monday. In the West, Ash Wednesday signals the beginning of the Lenten season.

The Maronite Lenten season begins with the “Entrance into Great Lent” on Cana Sunday. The Maronite Church adopted Ash Monday later, from the Latin Church. Considering that Great Lent starts on Sunday, it would not have made sense for the distribution of the Ashes on Wednesday, which is why it is Ash Monday.

Which brings us to another question.

Why is Great Lent for Maronite’s more than forty days?

The forty days originates from Jesus’s forty days in the wilderness.

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” Luke 4:1-2

At first glance it may appear that the Maronite Lenten season is more than forty days. For Maronite’s, the forty days are counted from Cana Sunday until the Thursday of the Mysteries (known as Holy Thursday in the Latin Church). The Sundays during Great Lent are not counted as part of the forty days. Sundays are for the celebration of the Resurrection. So counting from Cana Sunday to the Thursday of the Mysteries and taking out the Sundays, we get forty days.