Above: A worshiper receives ashes on Ash Wednesday at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh.
In his Ash Wednesday homily, Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama said that the invitation of Lent is to practice 3 simple things: prayer, almsgiving and fasting. When we do this, he said, we are free to turn to the Lord with all of our hearts to become great ambassadors for the good news of Jesus Christ.