This is the week of Ash Wednesday, which is held annually in the spring.
It’s a religious event that signals the start of Lent — a 40 day season of prayer, fast and repentance ending just before Easter — and the University of the Incarnate Word will host four masses in celebration of the beginning of the new liturgical season on Feb 18.
Ash Wednesday is so much more than just a spiritual event for Rev. Trevor Alexander. He’s spent over two decades as the Protestant Chaplain and an adjunct faculty in the religious studies department at the University of the Incarnate Word.
Alexander expresses how he prepares for Ash Wednesday and what impact he wants to leave on people.
“I’ve already started,” Alexander said with a smile. His preparations began back in January. “If you get your mind ready, your body ready, and the things that we need to do, then you don’t wait until the last minute.”
Each year he preaches three Ash Wednesday services, adjusting his message depending on the congregation. However, for him, preparation goes beyond just the ceremony.
That preparation is personal as well as pastoral. He and his wife chose a Lenten focus together. In the past years, they have read over the entire book of Psalms in 40 days. For this year, they are committed to daily prayer.
Alexander says Ash Wednesday is treated as a single religious event rather than the beginning of the spiritual journey, and he sees that as one of the biggest pastoral challenges
“It becomes the highlight for one day, then we move on to the next,” Alexander said. “We haven’t taken the time to be present in the whole moment.”
The chapel will be full and many who attend don’t return until the following year for Ash Wednesday. Instead of focusing on attendance, he focuses on the impact it brings.
“What we have in that moment, let’s make that moment count,” he said. “If it’s impactful, it’s going to be something biblical.”
This mindset is what shapes his preaching. While Lent is normally associated with sacrifice, Alexander wants to encourage a shift in perspective this Ash Wednesday.
“This year I don’t want to look at what we sacrifice, but what can I add to my plate that is manageable, meaningful and that others can benefit from?” Alexander said. “Ash Wednesday should always be about giving up [and] what can I add for the service of God?”
For him the answer is prayer. A daily practice that extends beyond the church walls and into classrooms, homes and everyday routines.
“This Ash Wednesday, for some reason, I’m more excited than I’ve ever been,” Alexander said.
As UIW prepares for this upcoming Ash Wednesday, Alexander’s message is clear: start early, stay present and look for ways to grow.
Ash Wednesday, he suggests, is not just about the ashes but the intention.
UIW will host four masses for Ash Wednesday on Feb. 18, inside Our Lady’s Chapel at 8:00 a.m., noon, 4:00 p.m. and at 6:00 p.m. The 6:00 p.m. mass will be in Spanish.
