I cannot locate the comment about Biden doing this every year. It’s not on the Inside Catholic thread; must have been on Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s blog, but I couldn’t locate it quickly there either. Some of the comments on WDPTRS are quite good, including one that said that the old rule of thumb was to wash the ashes off if you wanted to keep them on (because that’s evidence of pride as motive) and keep them on if you wanted to wash them off (evidence of fear of acknowledging your faith in public). Sounds like pretty good advice to me.
Another commenter pointed out that Ash Wednesday is not a day of obligation and still another that Sister would not have liked it if you did not have ashes on your forehead. Since I’m a convert and did not experience the “good old days” in Catholic school, I find these glimpses of a long-gone culture helpful.
Some of the other comments on the WPTRS thread point to real moments of witness by university students, grad students etc. as a result of wearing ashes on Ash Wednesday.
OT, but I noticed that last nights 7 PM Mass was the largest crowd that I have EVER seen in my local parish -- larger than any Christmas, or Easter, Mass, or an previous Ash Wed. that I have attended there. It was a beautiful liturgy and well worth my time. And this area has not experienced any growth -- on the contrary.
Years ago we used to sing a song at the end of Mass: "They will know we are Christians by our Love..." Last night, our town knew we were Catholics by our ashes as we were lining up for fish at our local eatery.
You are not obliged to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. You are obliged to fast and not eat meat.