Even if you didn’t watch the Oscar’s this year, you probably at least saw Ellen’s epic selfie somewhere online. Ellen literally broke twitter (because her photo became so popular in such a short time). Since I work in social media, I’m always interested in taking what works in mainstream media and adapting it to better communicate as a church.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could get the word out about Lent and Ash Wednesday with the same viral power? Well, while browsing twitter, I came across an ingenious way to spread the Lenten love.

Share your Ash Wednesday selfies

  1. Take a selfie with your ashes.
  2. Tag it #AshTag
  3. Share on your favorite social channels.

The sign of ashes

I love the ritual of receiving the sign of ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday. The ashes symbolize two things, penance and contrition. They are also a reminder that God is gracious and merciful to those who call on Him with repentant hearts. When we come forward to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, we are saying that we are sorry for our sins, and that we want to use the season of Lent to correct our faults, purify our hearts, and grow in holiness so we will be ready to celebrate Easter with great joy.

For me, going to Ash Wednesday mass really gets me in the mindset of Lent. We have so many other distractions in our world, and Lent is a wonderful time to step back, re-prioritize and focus our lives back on the Lord. I hope to see your #AshTag photos online and I hope you have a blessed Lent!

Update: This start of this hashtag can be contributed to Dom Bettinelli.

 

Follow the #AshTag conversation on Twitter:

Thanks to Mark Alves for sharing this killer photo! He writes over at Church Mojo and you can follow him on twitter @markalves too.