HUMILITY. Do not be alarmed today when you chance upon folks in the community who have black palm ashes smeared in a cross across their foreheads — it is a sign of Ash Wednesday! Ash Wednesday, a Christian holy day, is celebrated by fasting, sacrifice and prayer, on a Wednesday, six and half weeks before Easter Sunday — marking the beginning of the Lenten Season.
This holy day has been celebrated for many centuries, going back over two thousand years, however, the custom of ashes on the forehead is a bit more recent, attributed to Pope Gregory I the Great between 540 and 640 A.D. Also, on this day it is common for some Christians to fast in preparation for Lent and also to repent for their lax in devotion or misdeeds in life.
While some Christians take today, Ash Wednesday, as a solemn day of self-reflection and repentance, others might choose to recognize the day as International Be Humble Day. Be Humble Day is recognized around the globe and just so happens to fall on Ash Wednesday this year providing a great opportunity for Christians and non-Christians to stress the importance of being humble.
In this self-obsessed world where people are increasingly becoming narcissistic, obsessed with their appearance and attention seeking, being humble is a great achievement. Beyond holding back the urge to boast or brag about one’s achievements, being humble also requires people to listen to others, accept others’ weaknesses, errors, and the effort to improve.
Being humble is an artform.
If any of our readers have an interesting story about an extraordinary time they were able to stay humble, call the Newsroom at (814) 362-6531 to share your story with others and just maybe inspire their humility.
