When we are marked with ash on our foreheads we hear the invitation to “repent and believe the good news.” One of the Hebrew words for repent is “nacham.” The root of this word means “to draw a deep breath” as well as to be deeply moved to a feeling of sorrow. The Greek word for repent is “metanoia,” which means “to reconsider.” But it is also a compound word made up of the words, “meta” and “nous.” “Meta” means “transformation”and “nous” means “soul.” So, as we begin this journey we are invited to nothing less than a “transformation of the soul.”

-"Ash Wednesday: Practice Truth-Telling," by Christine Valters Paintner