Ash Wednesday February 22, 2012
Posted by lizp4 in Uncategorized.trackback
Ash Wednesday is familiar to just about everybody. Even lots of non-Catholics know it’s the day when Catholics (and non-Catholics, as well, if they wish to participate) receive on their foreheads a cross marked in ashes. As the forehead is marked, the minister repeats the words, “Remember, man, thou art dust; and to dust thou shalt return.” Simple as that.
The cross of ashes we wear tells others the same message, and if anyone should ask, we need to reply with those words. We are being reminded of the brevity of earthly life. The time is short, the ashes say. Make good your time on earth.
Heh! Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I’m just sitting here thinking of all the utter TRIVIA filed away in my brain, and trying to think of a way to make room for more. This was NOT helpful for this project, thankyouverymuch…
Burning palms is not as easy as it sounds. They look like they ought to be highly combustible, but in actual fact, they are rather fire resistant. I struggle with this each year. This year, I think I finally got it down. I punched holes around the outside (not the end) of a soup can with a church key, wadded the whole group of palms up and stuffed it into the can, and put the can on the electric burner of the kitchen stove which was set on “hi”. It never did burst into open flames, but it began eventually to smoke furiously, so I started the exhaust fan; otherwise the smoke detector would have gone crazy, I’m sure. After about 15 or 20 minutes of this, I had the finest quality ashes you have ever seen in your life. Absolutely no fiber structure left at all; just fine grey ash. That is the best I have ever done, so I feel like I have mastered the art now!
One other thought: I have never figured out how they get those beautiful, picture perfect crosses such as you show in the photograph on your article. Ashes are not like oil paints, or even tempera. They are uncooperative, messy, and I usually just windup leaving a big smudge on people’s foreheads. Was your picture Photoshopped?
I found it on bing images. But burning the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday is the usual source of the ashes. I presume it’s the same with the Anglicans. It does produce a black ash. In my experience as a recipient, most of the crosses made are smaller and not nearly so “pretty.” They usually wind up being little black smudges. Oh, well…I guess it’s the thought that counts… :o)
Say three “Hail Marys” and four “Our Fathers.” as your penance!
Of course you can be forgiven. This whole thing about the abortion mandate falls into the same category really. The MSM is carrying on about how this is an attack on the Roman Catholic Church, which it is, but it is actually an attack on the entire Christian Church. The government has no business telling any part of the Church how to conduct its business, period. This is going to hit the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod very hard, I know, and they have reacted quite vocally. They just don’t get the headlines that Cardinal Dolan gets. There was a time when this would have greatly upset the Episcopal Church, although those days are long past. The Continuing Anglican Churches (of which I am a part) are all too small to have any large institutions such as hospitals or schools, although I’m sure some do operate small local schools, daycare centers, etc.., so they will get hit as well. My archbishop and house of bishops made a very strong statement of protest, but it got very little publicity (I urged them to put it out there a bit more).
I have to presume this hits the Orthodox as well, although I know much less about their positions.
I think it is very important that we recognize that this hits all of classical Christianity, not just one part. We are stronger if we all stand together than if we stand apart; I am quite certain of that.
Sorry, Sam. It’s my only frame of reference. Can I get forgived?
Ah, Liz! The RCC never ceases to amaze me in its presumption to be the only Christian Church!
How about if we re-write your second sentence this way: Even lots of non-Christians know it’s the day when Christians receive on their foreheads a cross marked in ashes ?? It is not just a Roman thing by any stretch of the imagination, although it seems that Roman Catholics think so; they are so totally unaware of the rest of the Christian Church.
In my Anglican parish this morning, we did Morning Prayer, the Litany, the Penitential Service, and the Blessing and Distribution of Ashes. I’m sure this is taking place in thousand of other Anglican and Lutheran parishes across the land today as well. There may be other places as well, but those I am sure about.
In all cases, it is exactly the same. The words are the same, and the significance is exactly the same, just as you have described in your post. This is the voice of the Christian Church, proclaiming the beginning of Lent.