Posted on 02/18/2010 5:56:52 AM PST by marshmallow
Questions… questions…
From The Catholic League:
JOE BIDEN RIDICULED FOR WEARING ASHES
Fox News analyst Bob Beckel today criticized Vice President Joe Biden for wearing ashes on TV; today is Ash Wednesday and Biden is Catholic.
In the middle of a discussion on President Obama’s stimulus plan, Beckel gratuitously said, “Sorry about laughing, but I looked at Joe Biden’s forehead, and I know it is Ash Wednesday, but I’m not sure I would wear that ash on the air. Anyway….”
Catholic League president Bill Donohue wasn’t amused:
Bob Beckel’s admonishing remark, “I’m not sure I would wear that ash on the air,” makes us wonder whether it is the public display of ashes he finds risible, or the religion that sports them.
In any event, there is no record of Beckel ever lecturing a Jew about wearing a yarmulke on TV or a Muslim wearing a turban. Must be something about Catholicism that bothers this guy. We’d love to know what it is. At the very least, a clarification about what he meant is in order.
I am not a fan of Vice President Biden. I think his public record as a pro-abortion "Catholic" Senator and his risible comments about Church doctrine concerning abortion deserve all the beatings we can deliver. I think it is a scandal that his bishops would not deny him Holy Communion.
However, you do not have to be in the state of grace to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. You receive because you are a sinner.
At the same time, I remember something in the readings about washing your face and not being obvious as a penitent in public… yes… I remember reading that somewhere (cf. Matthew 6).
Tough call.
So…. ashes in public? Give witness to your Catholic identity in a world which needs it?
Wash them off because of what the Lord says?
Discuss.
One thing is for sure, both Biden and Beckel are ash holes.
I thought he was wearing an a$$ on his forehead, not ash.
If Biden thought it would help him, politically, he’d wear a Yarmulke, a turban, or a tutu.
Which Catholic Dr. do you have in mind? Name one!
Exactly! It would be an oxymoron. As opposed to Joe Biden, who is just a moron.
or all three at once, while drinking DD coffee ; )
I had this discussion on another thread yesterday. Certainly I can not know what is in Biden's heart, but I can suspect that based on his past record of support for *pro-choice* causes, judges, appointees, legislation, etc. his intentions are somewhat less than sincere.
Certainly the Lord will make the final judgment, but keep in mind that the Bible does not forbid us from judging as well...only that we judge in the same manner that we would have ourselves be judged.
When a parent corrects a child, the parent is "judging" the child's behavior. I'm in no way, shape or form perfect in my practice of Catholicism, yet my public pronouncements, participation in politics, and my behavior at the voting booth fall in line with my professed faith; if they did not, I would fully expect others to question the sincerity of my faith and beliefs, and they would be perfectly right in doing so.
A lot of liberal clerics have pushed this sin of "judgmentalism", but it doesn't wash. God blessed us all with Free Will, and consequently it is our very exercise of judiciousness in the decisions we make in our lives that define who and what we become. In and of itself, exercising judgment is not a sin, but a blessing and in fact, a moral duty.
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.
Nice turn of phrase; let’s extend it a bit:
a “yarmulke, a turban, a tartan or a tutu”
Donohue ought to be more concerned about the fact that Biden, pro-abortionist that he is, is allowed into a Catholic Church.
You can’t.
If the ashes are for sinners Pelosi should be covered in them from head to toe....
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 too? Ours was packed. I couldn’t believe the number of people.
A lot of them left before the consecration so I have to think many were non-Catholics deciding to prepare for Lent in some other fashion.
They should have stayed and really gotten the message.
We went through all verses of THREE different hymns during Communion. I’ve never seen that happen before in our Parish. Getting out of the parking lot afterwards was a long wait — reminiscent of going to church on any Sunday in 1961.
You can't be. Joe Biden isn't Catholic he's a slimy worm of a hypocrite politician that is using a sacred symbol of my religion for political gain.
You are not obliged to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. You are obliged to fast and not eat meat.
I would pay good money to see Lyin'Joe wearing a turban, a tutu, and a yarmulke, whilst drinking DD coffee.
I'd photograph it, videotape it, and post it all over youtube.
let’s expand, as someone else has, on the thread, and postulate that he is wearing all three whilst drinking DD coffee and affecting an Indian accent ; ) The best part is, while it would be impossible to conceive of Obams doing this, it is not beyond the realm of possibility to imagine Joe doing so.
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