Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this 40-day Liturgical period of prayer and fasting. During this time, He endured many temptations by Satan. According to the Canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent forty days fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry. It can occur as early as February 4th or as late as March 10th. It is a “moveable” feast, falling on a different date each year, simply because it is dependent on the date of Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday is the first day of lent, and occurs 46 days before Easter.
