Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance in the Catholic Church. It marks the beginning of the Season of Lent, a season of penance, reflection, and fasting. During a Mass, a priest or minister places ashes on a worshiper's forehead in the shape of a cross, which represents a person's grief and mourning for their sins. The ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice. The distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. The name "day of ashes" comes from the practice of marking the forehead with ashes, saying "Remember that you dust and unto dust you shall return". The ashes are a sign of penance and a reminder of our earthly mortality.