what is ash wednesday?

Question

catholic religion

Answer 1

Ash wednesday is the tradition of the Catholic chruch. This is the day where they put ashes on there forhead. this holiday is base on one of the pagan tradition that they adapted to there doctrine and rituals

Answer 2

Hi Army Guy,
Go to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia------------ there is a lot of information there. Here is just a sample. Hope it helps you.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days before Easter. It falls on different dates from year to year, according to the date of Easter; it can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.

At Masses and services of worship on this day, worshipers are blessed with ashes by the celebrating clergyman. The priest or minister marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes, in the shape of a cross, which the worshiper traditionally retains until washing it off after sundown. In many Christian churches, the minister of ashes may also be a layperson or non-clergyman. The symbolism echoes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ash over one's head signifying repentance before God (as related in the Bible). The priest or minister offers the worshiper an instruction while applying the ashes. These are three examples:
Remember, man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.
Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.
Repent, and hear the good news.

Answer 3

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.

Answer 4

You know Yahoo is a search engine too, right? Go here for a slew of Ash Wednesday sites:
http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion_and_Spirituality/Faiths_and_Practices/Christianity/Holidays_and_Observances/Lent/Ash_Wednesday/

Answer 5

Over for the year

Answer 6

it is the first day of lent, and a feast day, it marks the time when jesus spent 40 days in the desert. on this day adults are required to fast, which means go without food, though a single meal, not equivalent to a regular meal is allowed.

Answer 7

Just another pagan ritual day in the life of a False Church inspired by Satan.......No more no less.

Answer 8

+ 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.