Visitors - Come on in and say hello!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Ash Wednesday!


Today we began our 40 day fast, our 40 days of penance in preparation for Baptism. In the early days of the Church, those who were converting underwent a few years of instruction, and the 40 days of penance and fasting in preparation for Baptism was likely far more stringent than our spoiled culture of today could endure. And the entire Church went through this period of preparation with the catechumans. Isn't that fascinating?

When I was a litte girl, I remember being somewhat excited about Ash Wednesday, because it was the only time during the year we were allowed to approach the altar. We never got anything to eat like Mom did later during Mass, and we were always suspicious of what was going on up there, but receiving the ashes always seemed to placate us to a certain extent.

We were NOT allowed to wipe our foreheads, though. No matter how much it "itched", we had to keep the ashes planted right where they had been set. Mom had been raised in a Catholic school by olde-tyme nuns who weren't afraid to say what was what. But I think they must have suggested at some point that removing them might be a sin, because according to Mom, we must NEVER remove the ashes until it was time for sleep.

She explained that wearing the ashes was a form of penance; because it was uncomfortable, because people stared at us while we walked around with dirt on our foreheads, etc, it was to lead to a mysterious virtue called "humility". We didn't "get it", but if she caught us surrepetitiously trying to wipe the ashes off, she'd stop us.

This is how it was for my family, and for many others, I suspect. So as I grew up, we never removed our ashes, and as this was the way I was raised, I didn't really question it.

But as I got older, it hasn't been an issue. I go to Mass in the evening, so I just go home bearing my ashes on my forehead, and keep our family observance without involving the rest of the world. (Until now...and now I have a dilemma; now that you KNOW I have ashes on my forehead, amd I required to remove them to avoid making an outward sign of penance, even though you can't see me? This is going to keep me awake all night....)

There are many arguments both for and against keeping the ashes if you have to go out in public and about your day. I would say it's definitely NOT a sin to remove them, but each individual has to make the decision as to what they would prefer to do. And each has to ask if whatever their choice is, is it being done for the right reason?

Father Powell has a great post up which has convinced me to never go out in public with ashes on my forehead ever again. His point is that, as we read in the scriptures, to not have an outward sign of penance, by the direct order of Jesus. (Thank you, Father Powell).

Yet at the same time, on Relevant Radio Sean Herriott and Douglas Bushman, and apparently Father Rocky discussed this very thing and seemed to be in favor of the ashes being left. They tend to think that is is a good witness to other Catholics and even non-Catholics as it gets people to recognize the beginning of Lent and to talk about it. They see it as a form of evangelization.

What amazes me about Ash Wednesday is that I have heard more about whether or not to leave the ashes on than I have about what Lent MEANS! Quite honestly, if we're more worried about ashes on our foreheads than the interior conversion we are SUPPOSED to be thinking about, then we are missing the entire point of Ash Wednesday.

"Man, thou art dust, and to dust you shall return."

9 comments:

Mara Joy said...

yeah, I've wondered about that...are we supposed to keep the ashes on, or aren't we? (It's not like a sacrament!)

Fr. Philip Powell, OP said...

Adoro,

Thanks for the link. One point of clarification though...it's not my argument that the ashes need to come off. It's Jesus' command: when you fast, do not fast as the hypocrites do. Anoint your head and WASH YOUR FACE. The point, of course, is a contrite heart not a showy bit of piety.

Fr. Philip, OP

Adoro said...

Thanks for the clarification, Father! I'll try to edit to make that more clear.

Adoro said...

Edit complete.

teresa_anawim said...

I live in a city next to Boston. Mr. Menino, Boston Mayor often goes through hell because the media makes so much fun of his speech impediment.
They call him "Mumbles" Menino on many talk shows.
However,even though he is persecuted year after year, he is not ashamed to be called a Catholic here in notorious Boston.
Yesterday he was being interviewed on the noontime news on a municipal matter and there he was ASHES AND ALL! God Bless you Mayor Menino!

Adoro said...

teresa, that's AWESOME!

And I think THAT is the kind of witness we need!

Anonymous said...

I'm vain and worldly, shallow and superficial - and a tad rebellious - so I wipe them off.

My entire life should be a lent.

Adoro said...

Terry, who ISN'T? I'm still in rebellion, I'm completely self-centered and selfish and shallow, too. I'm pretty sure that's a description of us all, no matter what face we show the world.

God bless you!

Sean Herriott said...

I know I'm late to the party with my comments, but I wanted to say that on Morning Air we spent the bulk of our time Tuesday and Ash Wednesday talking about the meaning and purpose of Ash Wednesday and Lent, not fielding questions about whether or not to wear the ashes. We did receive and respond to a couple questions about whether to wear them. No rigid position was taken, and our focus wasn't on whether or not to wear them. The questions about wearing the mark were a small part of a much larger conversation. Our purpose in talking about Ash Wednesday was to help our listeners embrace Lent more fully this year and experience a deeper conversion of heart as a result.