Posted on 02/17/2015 9:12:10 PM PST by iowamark
Ash Wednesday is upon us again!
Here are 9 things you need to know and share . . .
1. What is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday is the day that Lent begins (see: 9 things you need to know about Lent).
The name comes from the fact that a particular rite is always celebrated on this Wednesday in which the faithful have ashes put on their foreheads.
According to the Roman Missal:
In the course of today’s Mass, ashes are blessed and distributed.
These are made from the olive branches or branches of other trees that were blessed the previous year [on Palm/Passion Sunday].
2. What does the putting on of ashes symbolize?
According to the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy:
125. In the Roman Rite, the beginning of the forty days of penance is marked with the austere symbol of ashes which are used in the Liturgy of Ash Wednesday.
The use of ashes is a survival from an ancient rite according to which converted sinners submitted themselves to canonical penance.
The act of putting on ashes symbolizes fragility and mortality, and the need to be redeemed by the mercy of God.
Far from being a merely external act, the Church has retained the use of ashes to symbolize that attitude of internal penance to which all the baptized are called during Lent.
The faithful who come to receive ashes should be assisted in perceiving the implicit internal significance of this act, which disposes them towards conversion and renewed Easter commitment.
3. How does the distribution of ashes take place?
The Roman Missal states that after the homily, the priest blesses the ashes and sprinkles them with holy water.
Then the priest places ashes on the head of all those present who come to him, and says to each one:
Repent, and believe the Gospel.
Or:
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Meanwhile an antiphon or another appropriate chant is sung.
4. Is there a particular way the ashes should be put on people’s heads?
Fr. Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at Regina Apostolorum University comments:
There are no set rules regarding this, and it largely depends on local custom.
In most English-speaking countries the prevailing custom seems to be that the priest places enough holy water into the ashes to form a kind of paste. The ashes are then daubed in the form of a cross on the forehead.
Many Catholics see this practice as a means of publicly showing their faith and leave the smudge on their forehead throughout Ash Wednesday.
In other countries, such as Spain, Italy and parts of Latin America, the prevailing custom seems to be sprinkling fairly dry ashes on the crown of the head. But even within these geographical areas, both customs are practiced and there may be other legitimate traditions as well.
5. Can this be done outside of Mass?
Yes. The Roman Missal states:
The blessing and distribution of ashes may also take place outside Mass. In this case, the rite is preceded by a Liturgy of the Word, with the Entrance Antiphon, the Collect, and the readings with their chants as at Mass.
Then there follow the Homily and the blessing and distribution of ashes.
The rite is concluded with the Universal Prayer, the Blessing, and the Dismissal of the Faithful.
6. Can someone other than a priest distribute the ashes?
Yes. The Book of Blessings states:
1659 This rite may be celebrated by a priest or deacon who may be assisted by lay ministers in the distribution of ashes. The blessing of the ashes, however, is reserved to a priest or deacon.
7. How long do you leave the ashes on?
There is no rule about this. It is a matter of personal decision based on the individual’s own inclinations and circumstances.
The ashes can be left on until they wear off naturally or they can be washed off or wiped off when the individual chooses.
8. Can ashes be distributed to the sick who cannot attend Mass?
Yes. The Book of Blessings states:
1657 This order [in the Book of Blessings] may also be used when ashes are brought to the sick. According to circumstances, the rite may be abbreviated by the minister. Nevertheless, at least one Scripture reading should be included in the service.
1658 If already blessed ashes are brought to the sick, the blessing is omitted and the distribution takes place immediately after the homily. The homily should conclude by inviting the sick person to prepare himself or herself for the reception of the ashes.
9. Is Ash Wednesday a Holyday of Obligation?
No. There is no obligation to attend Mass.
However, Ash Wednesday is a penitential day and it (together with Good Friday) is one of two days of the year on which fasting and abstinence are required.
See here for more on the discipline of fasting and see here for more on the discipline of abstinence.
One More Thing . . .
If I may be permitted a personal observation, Ash Wednesday is spiritual marketing genius.
Give away free stuff–on a limited time basis–and people will show up in droves.
No wonder Mass attendance soars on Ash Wednesday, even though it’s not a holyday of obligation.
Say, if this is Lent, is the rest of the year Borrowed?
LOL!
**9. Is Ash Wednesday a Holyday of Obligation?
No. There is no obligation to attend Mass.**
But it is the third, if not the second, most heavily attended Mass in most Catholic Churches.
Think liturgical year.
Questions About Keeping the Ashes on Out in Public
Ash Wednesday in the Public Square (the phenomenon that draws in so many)
Ash Wednesday: It's Not Just For Catholics Anymore
Luxury hotel manager fired after making vulgar Ash Wednesday remarks
New York Palace Hotel boss Niklaus Leuenberger gets the door after Ash Wednesday slur
Homily for February 25, 2009 - Ash Wednesday - We just can’t live without ashes!
Remember, O Man [Ash Wednesday]
Ash Wednesday
The Day After Fat Tuesday [Ash Wednesday, Beginning of Lent]
Ash Wednesday and the Lenten Fast-Family observance Lenten season [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Other Christians embrace Lent: "We are reclaiming a sense of history"
More turn to Ash Wednesday
Being Catholic: Sacred Things, Ashes
Ash Wednesday
Where does Ash Wednesday get its ashes?
Every Ash Wednesday comes the question about ashes: to burn or to buy?
Pope will preside at Ash Wednesday Mass, procession; act will renew ancient tradition
Ash Wednesday: Preparing For Easter
Ash Wednesday: Our Shifting Understanding of Lent
Ash Wednesday
Obviously not a Baptist thing.
Can I give up sobriety for Lent?
According to Catholics, Lent is derived from the 40 days Yeshua spent fasting in the wilderness, but it is admitted that the observance of Lent was unknown to the disciples and it did not find its way into the church until several centuries after the time of the Messiah. Lent was an indispensible preliminary to the great annual festival in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz — which was celebrated by alternate weeping and rejoicing. So the 40 days of Lent is connected with the Babylonian goddess Ashtoreth/ Astarte/Ishtar (the origin of the word Easter), and the worship of Tammuz.
St. Irenaeus wrote to Pope St. Victor I in about 190 AD, commenting on the celebration of Easter and the differences between practices in the East and the West: "The dispute is not only about the day, but also about the actual character of the fast. Some think that they ought to fast for one day, some for two, others for still more; some make their 'day' last 40 hours on end. Such variation in the observance did not originate in our own day, but very much earlier, in the time of our forefathers" (Eusebius, History of the Church, V, 24).
So, is your post saying Christian is a false imitation of Tammuz worship?
If the time for the celebration of Jesus's resurrection was copied, then the resurrection itself was also copied from Tammuz -- as per your post's allegation,right?
here is proof for the falseness of this Tammuz blah blah
The month of Tammuz in Old Testament times is roughly equivalent to our July. To the best evidence, that was when the Babylonian pagans, and the fallen Israelites mentioned in Ezekiel 8:14 would “weep for Tammuz”. Also, this weeping took place on the second day of that month, right after the new moon. Not for forty days.
Two basic facts:
1) The weeping for Tammuz was not a 40 day thing.
2) The month of Tammuz is 4 months after Easter. They aren’t even in the same time of year.
It was my understanding that not only did Hebrew letters have meanings, unlike English letters, but there was a numeric value to the letters..
The number six hundred threescore and six in Hebrew ‘letters’ was eye opening..
Hebrew letter Tau had on a chart a value of 400
That letter represented a mark,sign or a cross. Strongs#8420
Hebrew letter Resh had on a chart a value of 200
That letter represented by a head strongs #7217
Hebrew letter Kaf had on a chart a value of 20 ( three score would be three of these)
That letter represented a hand, palm of hand, sole of foot - strongs #3709
Hebrew letter was had on a chart a value of 6
That letter represented by a peg or a hook (as in tent peg)
Strongs #2053
600 threescore and six in Hebrew letters
400- mark, sign cross
200- head
20- palm of hand/sole of foot
20- palm of hand/sole of foot
20- palm of hand/sole of foot
6- peg/hook
Billions of people today will receive a mark on their foreheads.. a cross.
And billions of those same people ‘cross’ themselves every day.
Now the question I would have..
Is it just a catholic thing or is it a christian thing?
The cross is not just a catholic sign..
The number in revelation six hundred threescore and six is a number that represents the beast..
And the spooky thing.,. There are some that there are some texts that show the number listed isn’t 666 but 616.
That doesn’t change much in the Hebrew, except for one letter.. and that letter would replace Kaf and it also means hand so the picture it shows is exactly the same..
Here is wisdom.. he that has understanding, let him count the number of the beast.
In Hebrew, a picture emerges..
Yes, that's why Elijah, Moses, and Jesus each fasted 40 days in the wilderness -- they were all Ashtoreth / Tammuz worshippers. /s
You're really smarter than to fall for the garbage in Alexander Hislop's stupid excuse for a book.
(Oh, and "Ishtar" is not the origin of the word "Easter". In fact, the Chaldean Christians of Iraq -- you know, ancient Babylon -- call Easter "Gayasa". Doesn't sound much like "Ishtar" or "Easter," does it? Latins and Greeks call it "pascha".)
Ezekiel 9, the people marked on the forehead with a tav (which in that time looked like a cross), are the people spared from the Lord’s wrath. Look it up.
“...Yeshua?...spent fasting ... it is admitted that the observance of Lent was unknown to the disciples ...”
Admitted by who??? Where are these absurd ideas originating from?
Catholics observe lent to imitate their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, who fasted for 40 days and nights; there is no other reason, despite the failed attempt to twist a perfectly Christian practice imitating Jesus into a pagan one.
Please refer to 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 (and other verses) for the “permission” from scripture to imitate Our Lord (and His saints)
And those marked with the Beast’s mark are guaranteed torment in fire and brimstone..
The enemy cannot create.. he can only counterfeit..
And revelation 13 gives us a little of what the enemy plans to do..
And there appears an unholy trinity in revelation13 that will break the 1st four commandments in exodus 20..
The commandments that deal with worship..
Worship the dragonand beast- breaks the 1St command
Worship his image - breaks the 2nd command
Blaspheme His name- breaks the 3rd command
Cause people to take a mark where people cannot buy or sell without the mark..
Breaks the 4th command..
The Sabbath command is one that was detailed in scripture as a ‘sign’ (Ezekiel 20:12;20)
It is also the command that has Our Creator’s ‘seal’( name, title territory)
And His commandmets were to be a ‘sign’ upon one’ hand and on one’s forehead (deuteronomy6:8)
The enemy has his own mark.. a sign of ownership..One that is a couterfeit to our Creator’s mark/sign..
The mark will denote lawlessness as His sign is a sign of obedience..
Now Daniel told us the enemy would think to change ‘times’ and ‘laws’..
There is one in today’s age that can be shown to do both..
Unless the world run by a Roman calendar named after Pope Gregory is just an unbelievable coincidence that goes along with Rome’s admission of changing the Sabbath..
A sign for Israel that they were His..
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