I am not Catholic, but I certainly believe we Christians need to humble ourselves and reflect on the price that Christ paid for us, and that we need to learn to deny ourselves (”fast”) as part of our walk to be more like Him. While I think we need to be doing those things throughout the year, not just at certain times of the year, I certainly do not object to some Christians, both Catholic and Evangelical, using this time of year as an opportunity and reminder to do these things to draw closer to Him. Of all the things Catholics and Protestants find to disagree over, this seems like a silly issue to fight about...
and that is very possible without beads and ashes on the forehead and worshipping Mary instead of Jesus.
Half my Catholic Church this morning was protestants wanting ashes on their forehead. Just another Catholic tradition that some protestants are trying to steal. If someones want to celebrate Ash Wednesday and get ashes on their head and actually know what it means, become a Catholic.
I JUST read this today.....
True and False Fasting
Isaiah 58
“Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet;
declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.
3 ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.
Most people know that the Bible talks about sackcloth and ashes frequently, correct?
This should be viewed as a good sign that Our Lord is starting the process towards the unity of Christian believers.
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By participating in the pagan celebration of the 40 days of Tammuz, you are mixing paganism with the gospel of your savior!
Hardly a thing to be proud of.
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