Excited for Ash Wednesday

[HoneyBee]

It's coming up and I am super excited! This is going to be my first ever Lent and I'm planning on making the most of it. I'm going to give up a certain social media site that I'm addicted to (aside from limited religious blogging on there), I'm going to fast, and I'm going to spend some time reflecting on God. It's going to be great!

By the way, does anyone know how long you're supposed to leave the ashes on your forehead? And what is the story behind getting ashes on Ash Wednesday anyways?

 

[Arcangl86]

It's coming up and I am super excited! This is going to be my first ever Lent and I'm planning on making the most of it. I'm going to give up a certain social media site that I'm addicted to (aside from limited religious blogging on there), I'm going to fast, and I'm going to spend some time reflecting on God. It's going to be great!

By the way, does anyone know how long you're supposed to leave the ashes on your forehead? And what is the story behind getting ashes on Ash Wednesday anyways?

Generally you leave the ashes on until they wear off naturally.

And the ashes represent repentance. There are a lot of biblical references to sackcloth and ashes in time of great grief.

 

[“Paisios”]

And what is the story behind getting ashes on Ash Wednesday anyways?

I was always taught that the ashes, like dust, are to remind us of our mortality, and that death came to us through our sinfulness. I was also taught that there is precedent in Old Testament times of using ashes (and sackcloth) in a gesture of repentance.

(In addition to prayer and fasting, I have made a practice of reading through the Gospels during Lent - I don’t always get through all four, but I try to get through Matthew and John, my favorites - and reading other profitable books - I usually read CS Lewis’ Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship - which I find help improve my understanding of things)

 

[mukk_in]

It's coming up and I am super excited! This is going to be my first ever Lent and I'm planning on making the most of it. I'm going to give up a certain social media site that I'm addicted to (aside from limited religious blogging on there), I'm going to fast, and I'm going to spend some time reflecting on God. It's going to be great!

By the way, does anyone know how long you're supposed to leave the ashes on your forehead? And what is the story behind getting ashes on Ash Wednesday anyways?

Glad you're excited sunshine . In the Church of God (Anderson, IN) we observed Ash Wednesday, Lent and Passover before Good Friday and Easter, but never had ashes on our fore-heads or retained ashes on our fore-head. It may be an orthodox tradition. You have to check with your local church for the customs followed there. Ashes may have something to do with, "repent of your sins, for dust you are and to dust you shall return." God bless .

 

[Albion]

By the way, does anyone know how long you're supposed to leave the ashes on your forehead? And what is the story behind getting ashes on Ash Wednesday anyways?

Customarily, they're left on throughout the day. The ashes remind us of our mortality as, for instance, when in the funeral (committal) service we say "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" and as we read in Genesis when God said to Adam, "Dust you are and to dust you shall return."

 

[HoneyBee]

They're left on all day, huh? Well then, this is going to make for some interesting conversation at my dinner table. I still haven't told my grandparents (whom I live with) that I'm trying out Lent this year. I was going to keep it on the down-low, but if I'm supposed to keep the ashes on all day, maybe I'll have to bring it up to them sooner... I'm nervous. I don't want them pushing me into their tradition against my will, that's why. Maybe I'll just rub off the ashes before they can see me...

...Or maybe I should be honest for once and let them see me with the ashes on my forehead. I don't know. This is intimidating, but I feel like it's something I have to do. *sigh* May God protect me from my grandparents' possibly overbearing nature.

 

[Paidiske]

It might depend when you go to a service, OP. Many people go in the evening, and that might be a gentler start for you?

 

[Arcangl86]

They're left on all day, huh? Well then, this is going to make for some interesting conversation at my dinner table. I still haven't told my grandparents (whom I live with) that I'm trying out Lent this year. I was going to keep it on the down-low, but if I'm supposed to keep the ashes on all day, maybe I'll have to bring it up to them sooner... I'm nervous. I don't want them pushing me into their tradition against my will, that's why. Maybe I'll just rub off the ashes before they can see me...

...Or maybe I should be honest for once and let them see me with the ashes on my forehead. I don't know. This is intimidating, but I feel like it's something I have to do. *sigh* May God protect me from my grandparents' possibly overbearing nature.

You can of course also wipe them off if it will create conflict in your personal life. But it's worth pointing out that if you live with them they will realize eventually, especially since you seem to be talking about a pretty major lifestyle change when all is said and done.

 

[FireDragon76]

It's up to you what you do. As a Lutheran I do not consider it a sin if you don't participate in Ash Wednesday.

I usually wipe the ashes off after the service. It's not traditional but I believe the whole concept of wearing ashes on ones face as a sign of fasting is dubious in light of the fact that Christ instructed us to wash our faces when we fast and to not disfigure ourselves (Matthew 6:16). And in general I prefer not to wear religious symbols people can see.

The origin behind it is probably some medieval Latin ritual, as Eastern Orthodox Christians do not push ash on their heads at the beginning of Great Lent.

I usually engage in some traditional type of fasting during Lent. The modern Catholic practice of "giving something up", is not a substitute for fasting from food, IMO. But again, it is not a sin if you cannot fast from food.

 

[☦Marius☦]

Glad you're excited sunshine . In the Church of God (Anderson, IN) we observed Ash Wednesday, Lent and Passover before Good Friday and Easter, but never had ashes on our fore-heads or retained ashes on our fore-head. It may be an orthodox tradition. You have to check with your local church for the customs followed there. Ashes may have something to do with, "repent of your sins, for dust you are and to dust you shall return." God bless .

We do not celebrate it. We try to be very secretive about our fasts.

 

[FireDragon76]

We do not celebrate it. We try to be very secretive about our fasts.

That's why the whole thing is difficult for me to deal with. The beauty of fasting is not announcing to the world you are doing it.

 

[HoneyBee]

It might depend when you go to a service, OP. Many people go in the evening, and that might be a gentler start for you?

The only time I can go is at noon time between classes, so oh well... but hey, at least I'll have a few hours to wear them before I go home and have to ultimately make the decision of whether to leave the ashes on or not.

You can of course also wipe them off if it will create conflict in your personal life. But it's worth pointing out that if you live with them they will realize eventually, especially since you seem to be talking about a pretty major lifestyle change when all is said and done.

Yeah, I might just end up leaving them on for that reason. It might be better to be transparent about it now rather than later, raising even more questions than before.

I usually wipe the ashes off after the service. It's not traditional but I believe the whole concept of wearing ashes on ones face as a sign of fasting is dubious in light of the fact that Christ instructed us to wash our faces when we fast and to not disfigure ourselves (Matthew 6:16). And in general I prefer not to wear religious symbols people can see.

Huh, now that you mention that, I did read that in the Bible... golly, there's a lot to take into consideration here. Glad I have a few days to think this over, lol

 

[mukk_in]

We do not celebrate it. We try to be very secretive about our fasts.

I see .

 

[Albion]

They're left on all day, huh? Well then, this is going to make for some interesting conversation at my dinner table. I still haven't told my grandparents (whom I live with) that I'm trying out Lent this year. I was going to keep it on the down-low, but if I'm supposed to keep the ashes on all day, maybe I'll have to bring it up to them sooner.

That is the traditional way, and I am sure that you will see some people on TV in the afternoon who still have the smudge on their foreheads, BUT many people do wash the ashes off before they go to work or wherever. If you choose not to keep it on all day, that is not something that is going to be considered unusual or wrong.

 

[☦Marius☦]

I usually wipe the ashes off after the service. It's not traditional but I believe the whole concept of wearing ashes on ones face as a sign of fasting is dubious in light of the fact that Christ instructed us to wash our faces when we fast and to not disfigure ourselves (Matthew 6:16). And in general I prefer not to wear religious symbols people can see.
.

I agree with the wiping of the ashes, disagree with the wearing symbols. Wearing a cross keeps you accountable to others. You want to sin less to avoid lack of testimony. Also if you are wearing your specific cross someone may ask you about it and boom! We are to be secretive with our prayer and fasting, not with our faith

 

[GreekOrthodox]

We do not celebrate it. We try to be very secretive about our fasts.

Except on the interwebs where we want to know if "X" is fast friendly or the final ingredient in my noodles is cheese powder to prevent sticking means we have to confess it to the priest. Then the WHOLE world needs to know just how much we are fasting!

 

[PloverWing]

In my church, opinions are divided: Some people leave the ashes on until they wear off, as a sign of faith; others wash them off before going to work or school, following the Matthew 6 advice to fast in secret. Either custom is considered acceptable.

I feel for you, Searching_for_God, in the difficulties of navigating family dynamics. I had family troubles too, in my early days as an Episcopalian. Whatever you decide, I will be praying for you.

 

[Paidiske]

I think the whole leaving-the-ashes-on thing probably was quite different years ago than it is now.

Now, when we're seen with ashes on, it's by a community in which many (most?) people are not practising Christians. So it can be seen as making a show of our faith, etc.

But when it developed as a custom, everybody in most communities was Christian. Church was part of the rhythm of village or town life. And visible ash wouldn't have been so much a matter of making a show of our faith, as a show of solidarity; we're doing this together. Seeing the ash on others' faces would be a visible reminder that our community is humbling itself before God, and none of us is better than any other before the Almighty.

I think, psychologically/pastorally, the impact would have been very different.