Today we celebrate the Festival of St. Matthias, Apostle. A lesser-known apostle, Matthias was one of the seventy-two sent out by Jesus and was selected by lot to replace Judas. Early Church tradition is split on Matthias, with some contending that he journeyed to Ethiopia and others contending he journeyed to Armenia. However, it is in Trier, Germany, at the Church of St. Matthias, that the body of the apostle is interred. He is the only apostle buried in Europe north of the Alps.

Today we commemorate Polycarp of Smyrna, Pastor and Martyr. A disciple of John, Polycarp was bishop of Smyrna for many years before he was arrested, tried, and executed for his faith in approximately AD 155. The Martyrdom of Polycarp, an eyewitness narrative, continues to encourage believers, particularly in times of persecution, even to this day.

Today we observe Ash Wednesday. During the forty days of Lent, the baptized children of God cleanse their hearts through repentance, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and the like. During Lent, we prepare our hearts for the Paschal Feast — Easter. Traditional Christian denominations will hold services that include the imposition of ashes. The ashes remind us of the wages of sin, of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, and of our mortality:

“[F]or dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

Today we commemorate Martin Luther, Doctor and Confessor. Born on 10 November 1483 in Eisleben, Germany, Martin Luther originally studied law. After a close brush with death during a storm, Luther switched to studying theology and entered an Augustinian monastery in 1505, when he was twenty-one years old. Luther received his doctorate in theology in 1512. Teaching at the newly established University of Wittenberg, Luther began to question some of the doctrines of Rome. Luther’s investigation of the Scriptures and of Roman doctrine led to the posting of the “Ninety-Five Theses” on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg — the spark that started the Reformation.