Christianity

As the joyful revelry of Mardi Gras fades into memory and the morning light breaks on February 18, 2026, millions of Christians around the world will gather in churches, cathedrals, and humble chapels to mark the beginning of one of the most profound seasons in the liturgical calendar. The priest’s […]

The scent of incense lingers in the cold February air. Parishioners file out of morning Mass, foreheads marked with ash in the shape of a cross. For over a billion Catholics worldwide—and millions of other Christians who observe the tradition—Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a 40-day spiritual journey toward […]

There’s a moment each year when the Christian world pauses—collectively, silently—to confront something most of us spend our days avoiding: our own mortality. That moment arrives on Ash Wednesday, when millions of faithful bow their heads to receive a smudge of ash on their foreheads, accompanied by words that echo […]