Question for catholics about the meaning of ash Wensday?

Question

Last year during Ash Wensday like 15 kids in a couple of my classes had ash in the shape of a cross on their foreheads. I was curious and asked them why. I was shocked when none of them knew. They all shuggred their shoulders and were like we dont know. They told me that they just did this because everyone else did it at their church. I couldnt believe what I was hearing. I would never do anything if I did not know what it meant or stood for. I mean were in college shouldnt they be asking questions? Are they just not paying attention at church? What is the point of going then if you dont pay attention or dont know the meaning of anything? I know this is extreme but what if ashes on your forehead had some racists horrible meaning to it? So catholics why do you put ashes on your foreheads? What does it mean or stand for? Thanks.

Answer 1

+ 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

http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0204.asp

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Er...Elizabeth is a bit confused...

Anyway, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent -- the penitential season before Easter. Catholics do extra prayers and fasting, and giving up certain pleasures for Lent, to put extra effort into becoming holier people before Easter.

The ashes come from the old testament practice of putting on sackcloth and ashes if one has been turned away from God's will and they now want to repent and turn back to God.

Answer 3

The seventh Wednesday before Easter and the first day of Lent, on which many Christians receive a mark of ashes on the forehead as a token of penitence and mortality.

Since no one is answering you I got that from dictionary.com

Answer 4

If you have further questions go to:

http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Mar2003/Family.asp

The answer above is completely right...A lot of people practicing religion did it because their parents made them or it's what thier family has always done. They may not nessicarily even beleive or understand it!

I just recently was confirmed Catholic - things have changed so much and they make you really jump through hoops to do it. I wasnt very happy with the process but I did learn a lot. Hope this helps!

Answer 5

The Blessed Ashes: A sacramental of the Church used mainly on Ash Wednesday to remind the faithful of death and the necessity of penance and contrition especially during the Lenten season. The use of ashes, expressing humiliation and sorrow, was common in ancient religions and is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. Introduced into the early Church by converts from Judaism, for many centuries ashes were imposed only on public penitents, those who had given public scandal. The ashes were used to sprinkle the penitential garb, which they wore on Ash Wednesday as they stood at the church door. Catholics, including priests, now receive ashes that are placed on the head of the penitent accompanied by the words "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel," or "Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return." Unused palms from the previous Palm Sunday, burned, furnish the ashes for use on Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday: A sacramental of the Church used mainly on Ash Wednesday to remind the faithful of death and the necessity of penance and contrition especially during the Lenten season. The use of ashes, expressing humiliation and sorrow, was common in ancient religions and is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. Introduced into the early Church by converts from Judaism, for many centuries ashes were imposed only on public penitents, those who had given public scandal. The ashes were used to sprinkle the penitential garb, which they wore on Ash Wednesday as they stood at the church door. Catholics, including priests, now receive ashes that are placed on the head of the penitent accompanied by the words "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel," or "Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return." Unused palms from the previous Palm Sunday, burned, furnish the ashes for use on Ash Wednesday.


FYI: It is better for a person to practice Ash Wednesday - even if they don't understand why, then not practice it at all.

Answer 6

Surprise! Most people don't know why they go to church or what their religions theologies are or really mean...

They do it because Mom & Dad did it. They do it because the are "supposed to"

Ash Wednesday is supposed to remind us that we are just mortal, and our bodies are made from dust and will return to dust (ash) - but our spirits are imortal.

Answer 7

It's to remind us that we are mortal and that our bodies will one day be returned to the earth. During the Imposition of the Ashes, the priest says, "Remember, O man, that thou are dust, and to dust thou shalt return."

Answer 8

catholics are strange... they also believe that they can sin all week and go to mass and they will be forgiven.. then go out and do it all over again.. they also believe that when i a child is born it sins... that's why they christen it...