does anybody know/remember what this is supposed to be about and when it is? all i remember from it was freaky people putting ash on our foreheads at school when we were lil what IS it?!?!
it is supposed to commemorate the peroid that jesus spent fasting in the wilderness AFTER his baptism. The liturgical calendar got all messed up around the 4th c. as they tried to detiremine his correct baptismal date.
the ash on the forehead is a symbol of a person's ownership. By having their foreheads marked with the sign of a cross by ash, this symbolizes that the person belongs to Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross.
i can't remember. it might have something to do with covering yourself in ashes and wearing a loincloth while doing penance. Which, buy the way, as Easter became the preferred time for new baptisms in the early church, this became a period of penance for new catechumins (sp?).
the ashs are burnt palms left over from palm sunday. it is the begining of the 40 days till lent. ur supposed to give something up like a sacrafice like jesus did when he died. and u dont eat meat on firdays...thats y so many places have clam chowder and fish sandwiches and a specail on firday
Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and the Fridays in between are days of abstinence from meat. It used to apply to those aged 14 to 59-don't know if that's still the case. I believe that those aged 21 to 59 were expected to eat not more than one full meal per day on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as well. During the service when priests would smudge foreheads with ashes I believe they'd say something like either "Remember that from dust you were created and to dust you shall return" or "Obey the gospel and turn away from sin." Yes, I recall certain food services offering fish sandwiches specials. As I considered these activities and rules to be beneath me-even as a kid, I refused to participate. I now proudly consider myself to be a lapsed Catholic.
i can't figger out why they did it to us when it wasn't even catholic school how odd there seem to be lotsa catholics in yankeeland
Was the school Episcopal or some other Anglican denomination? If so, then that will explain it as these groups utilize many Catholic rituals.
