Tag: Faith

If Yesterday was Fat Tuesday, Today must be Ash Wednesday

So, What Is Ash Wednesday, Anyway?

© Photo: berni0004 (Shutterstock)

Today (sic), I’m sure you’ll notice people walking around with crosses smudged on their foreheads. Maybe you’ll think, “Oh, right. Ash Wednesday, which is…some kind of religious day.” And you’d be right—it is some kind of religious day, and if you want to know more, here are the what’s, whys, and wherefores of the Christian tradition of smearing ashes on your forehead.

What is Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday has been around since at least the 11th century. It marks the beginning of the Lenten season in many Christian denominations and takes place 46 days before Easter. The concept behind Ash Wednesday is penance. It is a day to confess sins, ask forgiveness from God, and ponder the transitory nature of our physical bodies.

Ash Wednesday isn’t mentioned specifically in the Bible, but back in the early days of Christianity, egregious sinners were expected to spend the weeks preceding Easter in sackcloth and ashes, doing serious repenting so they’d be pure enough to take Easter communion. At some point, someone seems to have realized that we are all sinners, and everyone started getting ashes sprinkled or daubed on their heads.

How does Ash Wednesday work?

The specifics vary from church to church, but if you go to a Catholic mass on Ash Wednesday, the priest will usually give a sermon related to the theme of repentance, or Lent in general. Then you’ll line up to have ashes applied to your forehead. The priest will most likely say something like, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” before applying ash, typically in a cross shape, to your forehead. The ashes usually come from burned palm leaves left over from last year’s Palm Sunday observance.

Who celebrates Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is observed in all kinds of Christian denomination: Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Moravians, Nazarenes, and many more take part. It’s a popular day to go to mass—some priests report Ash Wednesday is the most heavily attended mass of the year, drawing more people than even Christmas or Easter.

As for why it’s so popular, your guess is as good as anyone’s. It’s not particularly vital as a religious holiday, but people like the ritual. “There’s something of a wonder about it because you’re marking yourself with the cross,” Father Anthony Arinello, a chaplain at Colorado School of Mine, opines. “Maybe it’s the humility of it; not just receiving the ashes, but receiving the little prayer we do as people receive ashes.”

Fasting on Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is also one of two days when Catholics are expected to fast for Lent. It’s not a hardcore fast, though: You can’t eat meat (fish is OK) but you are permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that “together are not equal to a full meal.” 

Ash Wednesday also marks the beginning of the Lenten season, where you are expected to abstain from some small pleasure or indulgence until Easter. What you sacrifice is up to you, but it’s not fair to give up something you don’t enjoy.

Article by Stephen Johnson for Lifehacker©

Source: What Even Is Ash Wednesday, Anyway? (msn.com)

Pope appoints first African-American cardinal

Wilton Daniel Gregory wearing a suit and tie: Pope Francis announced Sunday that Wilton Gregory and 12 others will be appointed cardinals.

© Andrew Harnik

Washington D.C’s first Black archbishop is now also the first African-American cardinal.

Pope Francis announced 13 new cardinals Sunday in a surprise declaration from his window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, including Wilton Gregory, who was tapped as archbishop in the nation’s capital last year.

Gregory, 73, previously led the Archdiocese of Atlanta and has spoken forcefully about the need for improved race relations in the Church. He replaced Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who resigned in October 2018 over criticism of his handling of sexual assault allegations.

“Ours is the task and the privilege of advancing the goals that were so eloquently expressed 57 years ago by such distinguished voices on that day,” Gregory said during an August Mass that marked the 57th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King’s March on Washington. “Men and women, young and old, people of every racial and ethnic background are needed in this effort.”

Pope Francis announced Sunday that Wilton Gregory and 12 others will be appointed cardinals. (Andrew Harnik/)

Nine of the 13 newly appointed cardinals are under the age of 80, making them eligible to vote in the next conclave to select Francis’ successor.

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pope-appoints-first-african-american-cardinal-d-c-archbishop/ar-BB1ankQr?ocid=msedgntp

Rain Down–A Song for our Times

 

Rain down, rain down,
rain down your love on your people.
Rain down, rain down,
rain down your love, God of life.
1. Faithful and true is the word of our God;
all of God’s works are so worthy of trust.
God’s mercy falls on the just and the right;
full of God’s love is the earth.
2. We who revere and find hope in our God
live in the kindness and joy of God’s wing.
God will protect us from darkness and death;
God will not leave us to starve.

Rain Down · Jaime Cortez

Spirit & Song Disc J

℗ 2013 OCP All Rights Reserved All Selections BMI

Released on: 2013-11-15

Music Publisher: OCP

What is Lent?

The season of Lent is a Catholic (Christian)  liturgical season consisting of forty days of fasting, prayer, and penitence beginning at Ash Wednesday and concluding at sundown on Holy Thursday. The official liturgical color for the season of Lent is violet. This year, Lent begins on March 6, 2019 and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday, April 18, 2019.

The word Lent derives from the Middle English word lenten, meaning springtime – the time of lengthening days. There is biblical support for doing penance, in both the Old and New Testaments. Ash Wednesday dates from at least the fourth century, although it is not possible to give an exact date. During that century, penitents looking for forgiveness and re-entry into the community would dress in sackcloth and sprinkle ashes to show their repentance. As Lent increasingly focused on the themes of repentance and renewal, Christians sensed their own need for repentance. The practice of distribution of ashes to all members of the community is mentioned in official documents of 1091.

Many Catholics were taught as children to “give up something” for Lent. Christians have found prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to be an important part of repentance and renewal. Many Catholics now add something during Lent rather than giving up something, either to address personal habits that need work or to add some outreach to others in need.

The Church does not specifically require that we do something beyond the requirements of fasting and abstinence. To do nothing, however, would certainly not be in keeping with the spirit of Lent. Furthermore, the sacrifices and extra things we do for Lent help us grow closer to Christ. We are missing out on so many graces if we do not participate fully in Lent. It is not necessary to be perfect, but we should put forth a good effort.

A good practice is to do something extra in prayer, something involving fasting (whether limiting our intake of food or giving up something non food-related), and something involving almsgiving (giving money or goods to the needy or doing extra acts of charity).

https://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/lent-in-the-catholic-church/

%d bloggers like this: