People line up to have ash applied to their foreheads on Ash Wednesday on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. (Austin Anthony / photo@bgdailynews.com)

“Why are you here?” the Rev. Michael Williams asked the crowd Wednesday at Western Kentucky University’s St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Campus Center. “Why is it so important for you all to be here tonight to receive these ashes? This is the fullest the church is every year, so it must mean something to you.”

Williams said the ashes are just a sign of repentance, it’s not the real deal. So if you don’t plan to repent, there is no point in coming to the altar and receiving the ashes, he said.

“I can glob your head up with ashes all night, and I can say ‘repent and believe in the gospel,’ but if you don’t repent, it’s just a sign. If you didn’t come here to be transformed, if you didn’t come here to ask for a life change, then don’t let me put those ashes on you,” Williams said.

Ash Wednesday marked the start of a new beginning and the season of Lent. Christians attended services throughout the day to ask for forgiveness of their sins and to get themselves prepared for the coming of Easter, according to Don Butler, retired executive director of Community Action of Southern Kentucky.

“It’s the beginning of the journey of faith,” Butler said. “There are two ways you look at Lent: You can give something up, or you can do something special, and I plan to just give more of my time to those who need our help in this community.”

Lent is a time for reflection – with prayer, fasting and alms-giving serving as the three pillars of the season, said Matthew Keyser, Holy Spirit Catholic Church deacon and youth minister. A long time ago, people would literally dress in sackcloth and ashes to repent, he said, and that is where the concept of applying ashes at the start of Lent came from.

“The church gives us these opportunities throughout the year to kind of begin again, and I think it’s all about getting rid of what you need to get rid of and starting again,” Keyser said. “It gives you the excuse to maybe say ‘I’m sorry’ to somebody that you need to say ‘I’m sorry’ to. It gives you the excuse to do something for others and to kind of clean out the cobwebs, so to speak, and get ready for the promise of Christ on Easter.”

WKU junior Troy Lasley of Hancock County said it’s always been a tradition for his family to celebrate Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.

“It always feels good to come here to St. Thomas Aquinas,” said Lasley, who plans to try to avoid procrastinating as much during Lent.

WKU freshman Grace Bryant of Bowling Green said she doesn’t plan to give up anything for Lent but wants to start including church more in her life.

“I’m going to start coming to church, not only every Sunday, but at least once during the week. Just a little extra something,” Bryant said.

St. Thomas campus minister Imari Hazelwood said the Lent season is a time for her to start new habits and try out new things.

“A lot of people try to do something that’s going to end at Lent, and I’ll try to start something that’s going to last a lifetime and kind of change me for good. So, it’s kind of like a cleansing or renewal time,” Hazelwood said. “I’m trying to, in the busyness of my life, trying to find some quiet time, to quiet my brain and listen to see what God is trying to tell me. So, I’m trying to do that a little bit every day.”

— Follow faith/general assignments reporter Simone C. Payne on Twitter at twitter.com/_SimonePayne or visit bgdailynews.com.