Hi all!

I am Catholic and almost everyone I work with are non-Catholic Christians, except for 2. I will be going to Mass tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, on my lunch break and will have the ashes on my forehead. I know my co-workers will ask questions about it. Could someone give me an easy explanation as to why we do this.

Thanks

-- Melanie (design465@hotmail.com), February 24, 2004

Answers

As the priest is supposed to say when he places the ashes on your forehead "Remember, man, that thou are dust and unto dust thou shall return." Reminds us of our own mortality, that this life will not last forever, and that we must do penance and repent for our sins before it's our time to exit this world.

-- Christina (introibo2000@nospam.com), February 24, 2004.

If they are Christians, remind them that Ashes are one of the signs of repentance all over scripture, especially in the OT. How many times do biblical figures rend their clothes, pour ashes over their heads and put on sackcloth? Ashes are all about repentance. Tell them Lent is a special time of repentance as we approach the celebration of Christ's salvific action of the cross, so we put on this ancient and biblical sign of repentance. I think they will like that.

Dano

-- Dan Garon (boethius61@yahoo.com), February 24, 2004.

A few relevant passages:

Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. (2 Samuel 13:19)

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. (Esther 4:1)

Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:6)

They will cast dust on their heads, They will wallow in ashes. (Ezekiel 28:18)

So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. (Daniel 9:3)

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. (Matthew 11:21)

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), February 24, 2004.

My understanding (through RCIA) is that Ash Wednesday, as the beginning of Lent, was a time for catechumens to undergo hardships such as fasting and living off the land prior to their confirmation. Since this was good for catechumens all members of the Church decided they should also participate in the process.

Members would live much like John the Baptist and wear sackcloth and be dirt covered. We still are to fast but the other hardships have been removed and are replaced with the symbol of ashes.

-- David F (dqf@cox.net), February 24, 2004.

Paul M, thanks for supplying all those quotse, it really fleshed out my answer (not that that was your intent).

Dano

-- Dan Garon (boethius61@yahoo.com), February 24, 2004.

I just have a question to throw out about the tradition of putting on ashes.

I understand the symbolism in putting ashes on our foreheads, however, could that be considered a little self-serving in that we are announcing to the world that will will go through fasting, etc., during Lent ... 'oh what a good Catholic' -- shouldn't we be making this more personal instead of the outward showing of our Faith?

-- Mary Jo (maryjomw@yahoo.com), February 24, 2004.

Well . . . half the point is to announce to the world our repentance. We are not saying 'look I am going to repent', we are saying, 'I repent'.

I have found that ashes produce two responces, from Catholics - no response whatsoever. From others ridicule. The number of times I've heard ash wednesday refered to as 'what's that on your forehead day'.

You can't say to the world, 'look at me I'm a sinner' with out the saying I'm a sinner. Declaring your self a sinner can hardly be viewed as self-serving.

Dano

-- Dan Garon (boethius61@yahoo.com), February 24, 2004.

Catholics are witnesses for Christ. Ashes on foreheads are a form of non-verbal witnessing. The world would like to forget death and be merry; we don't want to forget.

-- John (jjmcintosh@yahoo.com), February 24, 2004.

I don't know here. Something about wearing ashes rubs me the wrong way. So its something I personally have decided to forgoe. Not that I don't pray, practice fsting and abstinence. Its just that wearing the ashes is not required and runs counter to my personal value system. Now if I'm required or directed, I'm open to the alternative and will wear them. But I need something substantive first.

I know ashes are mentioned in scripture (as noted above), but is there any teaching from the Magisterium, or Tradition, or Scripture for that matter that requires we wear them? Its not a sacrament. In fact, Ash Wednesday is not even a holy day of obligation.

Loooking forward to the response.

-- Pat Delaney (pat@patdelaney.net), February 25, 2004.

What in your value system does being reminded that from dust we came and to dust we shall return contradict?

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), February 25, 2004.

Here are two very informative articles about Ash Wednesday that warrant examination:

http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0204.asp

http://www.cin.org/users/james/files/ash_wed.htm

-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), February 25, 2004.

Good articles Ed.

What I'm hoping to see is something on how wearing ashes will bring a person closer to Christ. If you see any, please post it.

Frank,

I just cannot stand people who wear their religion on their sleeve for all to see. The ashes, to me, come quite close to this. It seems all the nominal, partially practicing, cafeteria catholics, and then some all go and get ashes. I even saw a guy today skipping mass but asking for ashes, like he was missing something more important.

Do I see these people who all wear ashes frequenting the sacraments? Not usually.

Do I see them living lives of virtue or sacrifice? Not really.

Do I see them defending the Church and ALL her teachings? Not at all.

Maybe I'm a little too sensitive as to how I appear to others. I'll pray for some or more humility, and maybe next year I'll get the ashes.

-- Pat Delaney (pat@patdelaney.net), February 26, 2004.

They may be hypocrital, but at least they're getting in to a church and receiving ashes from blessed palms. Maybe a little grace will sink in. Who knows?

Maybe they should give out ashes every Sunday. Maybe more people would go. :) Maybe someone should talk to their marketing department. ;)

God bless,
FGC

-- FGC (FGCC4@yahoo.com), February 26, 2004.

Pat,

Thanks for the reply. My take would be it's not really *intended* as a public display for display's sake if it's only done once per year. If we *intended* to act publically, it (or something) would be done every week, or daily to show our faith. Examples of this might be found in faiths having a distictive style of dress, etc. that acts as an external reminder of their faith. We do not, and one day a year IMO does not do this. OTOH, it DOES remind people that we are sinners, and to at least at some point acknowledge this publically is a good thing. I don't know if that's a clear distinction or not, but *I* see it that way, LOL!

The rest of your post seems more oriented towards errant actions of parishoners, more so than the faith, or ashes themselves per se. My take on that is that there will always be people we cringe at, just as some people are going to cringe at OUR actions without our knowing. We are all sinners, after all. Likewise, there will always be a FEW priests who are heretics, or schismatic, or just plain bad, the same as their parishoners. BUT,

This is NOT a reason to DESPAIR. Christ gave us His assurance to be with His church always, knowing full well there would occasionally be bad priests, a sinful, wayward flock, you name it. THAT is a cause for great joy! In your situation, try and be a walking example in church, perhaps some of them will improve by your example. As to the others, try not to focus on them, it would not be to *your* spiritual benefit to let the perceived failings of others impede your own spiritual improvement.

LOL, I'm a regular Ann Landers today! Please take this in the spirit it's given, and that is good-natured in intent.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), February 26, 2004.