On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics, a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.
So, Ash Wednesday. I haven’t done it for a long time. What do I have to do?
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is a wonderful time to start discerning a 
returning to an active faith life. When we go to Mass on Ash Wednesday, our foreheads are crossed to remind us that we all will die physically one day… and that as sinners, we are all in need of forgiveness.
Catholics aren’t required to attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, though you’ll probably see more Masses scheduled and more people in the pews than any day other than Christmas. What we are obligated to do, except under special circumstances, is abstain from meat and eat only one full meal along with smaller portions at one other time of the day.
If you go to Mass, consider whether you are in a state of grace. Have you confessed sins recently? If not, please go anyway and participate in the ashes portion, but during Communion, approach the priest with your arms crossed for a blessing.
