President Obama on Ash Wednesday: time to reflect on ‘sacrifice and redemption’

Leila Tardieu receives the sacramental ashes during an Ash Wednesday celebration aboard the USS Wasp in the Atlantic Ocean Feb. 6, 2008. Photo by Wikipedia/U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brian May

If you are wondering about that smudge on your co-worker’s forehead, today is Ash Wednesday. Here’s what President Obama had to say about the beginning of Lent:

Today, Michelle and I honor Ash Wednesday with Christians around the country and across the world. This is at once a solemn and joyous occasion, an opportunity to remember both the depths of sacrifice and the height of redemption.  We join millions in entering the Lenten Season with truly thankful hearts, mindful of our faith and our obligations to one another.

Pretty vague. After the first sentence, it’s difficult to even tell what religious holiday he is talking about.