The ORIGINAL 1000+ Posts Club

[Penthesilea]

No offense, Little Darlin', but as a gay man who has lived through the worst years of the AIDS crisis, I do not need reminding that I am ephemeral, or anyone else, either.

No, that's not my point. My point is that having been raised Lutheran in a time when neither Lutherans nor ordinary Episcopalians practised the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday, I think it's a silly innovation. Even some Lutherans do it, now. I can see value in using the rite as a testimony of one's Christian profession, and that's about the only justification I can see for doing it. Reminder of sinfulness? The churches spend 46 weeks out of the year trying to make us feel good about ourselves and God, playing down mankind's sinfulness and need of repentence, and then all of a sudden for six weeks we're sinners who need to repent?

Oh, and the Gospel lesson that is traditionally read in the Episcopal Church on Ash Wednesday is from the sixth chapter of Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus is depicted telling his followers that when they fast (like in Lent?), they are not supposed to make themselves look like they are fasting, even, specifically, they are supposed to wash their faces--and then we dutifully troop up to the foot of the chancel steps to get dirt smeared on our foreheads?  It's just silly.

As I said, even some Lutherans do it nowadays. We didn't when I was growing up. And since the 1800s there have been some Anglicans and Episcopalians who really want to be Roman Catholic, they just don't want to deal with the Pope. I'm glad to hear that the Protestants in the Fatherland keep to the good old Protestant ways. 

Don't shoot the messenger (nah, I know you don't ). It's not my rite. I only recapitulate what I've learned.

BTW, I don't know anyone (under the age of, say 60) who practises it. But then, I don't know anyone (again, in my age group or younger) who is a regular churchgoer, be it Protestants or RCs.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Don't shoot the messenger (nah, I know you don't ). It's not my rite. I only recapitulate what I've learned.

  

BTW, I don't know anyone (under the age of, say 60) who practises it. But then, I don't know anyone (again, in my age group or younger) who is a regular churchgoer, be it Protestants or RCs.

Well, you know at least one person under age 60 who is a church-goer--me!   

[Penthesilea]

Well, you know at least one person under age 60 who is a church-goer--me!   

Good point!
I change my sentence from above to: ...don't know anyone .... on this side of the Atlantic!

[Jeff Wrangler]

Good point!
I change my sentence from above to: ...don't know anyone .... on this side of the Atlantic!

 

[oilgun]

So today is Ash Wednesday. This evening I will go to church, and the minister will smear ashes on my forehead while he (or she) says, "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return." I wish I could do this in the morning, but our ministers only have services at noon and in the evening on Ash Wednesday.

I decided years ago that I can see a point to receiving ashes early in the morning; going about all day with some dirt smeared on your forehead makes a silent testimony, at least for one day, that you are Christian. But what's the point of receiving ashes in the evening when you're just going to go home and go to bed? 

I know I'm a lapsed Catholic and an Atheist, but I don't think the point of getting ashes on your forehead is to announce your religion to the world.  Are people supposed to keep that shit on all day?  I can't imagine anyone not cleaning their faces before going to work!  I thought it was just another one of those bizarre rituals, this one to remind us that we were made of dust and that we will return to dust.

[David In Indy]

I know I'm a lapsed Catholic and an Atheist, but I don't think the point of getting ashes on your forehead is to announce your religion to the world.  Are people supposed to keep that shit on all day?  I can't imagine anyone not cleaning their faces before going to work!  I thought it was just another one of those bizarre rituals, this one to remind us that we were made of dust and that we will return to dust.

Remember the Feast of St. Blaise? We'd all go to Mass and get our throats blessed!

On Ash Wednesday at my school (Catholic) we'd have to leave our ashes on until we got home. Everyone would be walking around school with a black smear on their foreheads. It was a bit comical actually... now that I think about it.

[Brown Eyes]

But what's the point of receiving ashes in the evening when you're just going to go home and go to bed? 

Nice use of a Brokieism Bud! 

[Ellemeno]

Nice use of a Brokieism Bud! 

I was going to say that too. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

I don't think the point of getting ashes on your forehead is to announce your religion to the world.

No, it isn't. I'm saying that's the only possible reason I could justify running around with dirt on my forehead all day one day six weeks before Easter. Otherwise I find the practice rather silly, especially in view of the Bible reading that tells us we are not supposed to "disfigure our faces" when we fast.

And people, presumably good Catholics, in Philadelphia do run around all day Ash Wednesday with dirt on their foreheads.

Nice use of a Brokieism Bud! 

I was going to say that too. 

Thanks, Amanda and Elle. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

Good morning. Temp. was 29 F when I left home this morning, and I would call it "partly cloudy." Tomorrow the temp. is supposed to go up to near 60 F,  but it's supposed to rain.    However, these abrupt shifts in the weather are a sure indication that spring is coming. So are the snowdrops that were blooming in my church's garden on Sunday.