Can anyone explain the ritual of getting ashes, what is the purpose and where do the ashes come from? Thanks.
2007-02-21 08:50:18 · 15 answers · asked by Leticia R 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
+ Ashes in the Bible +
"O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes." (Jeremiah 6:26)
"I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes." (Daniel 9:3)
"When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes." (Jonah 3:6)
"And all the Israelite men, women and children who lived in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple building, with ashes strewn on their heads, displaying their sackcloth covering before the Lord." (Judith 4:11; see also 4:15 and 9:1)
"That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes." (1 Maccabees 3:47; see also 4:39)
Jesus refers to the use of sackcloth and ashes as signs of repentance: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes." (Matthew 11:21, Luke 10:13)
+ Ash Wednesday +
As the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday calls us to the conversion journey that marks the season.
As those preparing to join the Church enter the final stage of their preparation for the Easter sacraments, we are all called to walk with them so that we will be prepared to renew our baptismal promises when Easter arrives.
When we receive ashes on our foreheads, we remember:
+ Who we are
+ That we are creatures of the earth
. "Remember that you are dust"
+ That we are mortal beings
. "and to dust you will return"
+ That we are baptized
+ That we are people on a journey of conversion
. "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel"
+ That we are members of the body of Christ
+ That smudge on our foreheads will proclaim that identity to others, too
With love in Christ.
2007-02-21 15:52:36 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It marks the beginning of a period of reflection and penance. In the Bible, sprinkling oneself with ashes was traditionally a sign of one's sorrow for having committed sins. In the Christian tradition, Ash Wednesday also marked the beginning of preparation for the understanding of the death and resurrection of Christ. The particular symbolism of ashes for this day comes from a practice in the Roman Catholic churches in which the ashes from the palms used in the preceding year's Palm Sunday celebration are blessed. With these ashes, the priest on the first day of Lent marks a cross on the forehead of each worshiper.
2016-05-24 04:06:55 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Palms that were blessed Last Easter, and were in our homes, are brought back to Church and they are burnt for the Ashes, that the Priest blesses before distributing the Ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday. Lent is a season for prayer repentance and giving alms. Peace be with you
2007-02-21 10:34:12 · answer #3 · answered by pooterilgatto 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ash Wednesday liturgies are some of the best attended in the entire year.
Ashes are an ancient symbol of repentance (sackcloth and ashes). They also remind us of our mortality ("remember that you are dust") and thus of the day when we will stand before God and be judged. This can be linked easily to the death and resurrection motif of Baptism. To prepare well for the day we die, we must die now to sin and rise to new life in Christ. Being marked with ashes at the beginning of Lent indicates our recognition of the need for deeper conversion of our lives during this season of renewal.
2007-02-25 07:02:38 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is a means to repent. Since most priests drink and smoke, it is a way to clean up the ashes of sin within the priest's sinful office.
It is not for me to say the Catholic Church is tainted and immoral. However, it is time the world knows the real truths. Some of the answerers will shove material down your throat; however, if you click on this web site, the truth will set you free.
http://www.amaluxherbal.com/the_scandals_of_the_catholic_church.htm
With love in Christ; but with truth for the masses.
2007-02-21 17:24:45 · answer #5 · answered by imacatlick2 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our ashes of repentance are worn on our foreheads symbolically for a day, carried in our hearts for the entire Lenten season, remind us of the depths of our own need for God. We are constantly reminded by the symbols of Lent that we can't rely on ourselves or on anything in the world to fulfill our deepest needs.
We have stepped into the desert to be with our Lord for 40 days. It is our time in the desert with Him to explore the ruined areas of our own lives, those areas most in need of God's healing, and candidly ask God for help.
Lent is the penitential season to fast, pray, and give alms. Within the symbolic harshness of the desert scene, we are called upon to respond to several challenging questions that center on these three penances. We are not expected to do this in isolation. We have a faith community that draws us together for a purpose. Just like none of our seven sacraments are to be celebrated and administered in isolation from the faith community, we participate in our Lenten practices with the loving support and hospitality of the St. Thomas faith community family
God Bless You
2007-02-21 08:55:10 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The ashes represent for Catholics, the reminder that we are entering a most holy season of the Liturgical Year. It also reminds us that we are born of dust and to dust we shall return. It is a reminder that our lives are to short to waste it on menial things. May God illuminate your mind, and help you in the finding of your answers, to make the religion of your choice yours.
2007-02-21 08:57:53 · answer #7 · answered by Perhaps I love you more 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they represent repentance. I suppose they can get ashes from the fireplace.
2007-02-21 08:55:29 · answer #8 · answered by Mr Ed 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Another lent troller.
Why not ask a question like, what was one of Jesus' sisters names.
That will give some of the peeps something to do for a while.
2007-02-21 08:52:53 · answer #9 · answered by chris p 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They represent ashes on your face! The puprose! only the catholic knows.
2007-02-21 08:55:05 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋