The Ashes

[black_rain]

Hi everyone. I just have a question about Wednesday. Are you supposed to leave the ashes on all day, or wash them off when you get home?

 

[NDIrish]

Leave them on all day...normally mine end up being a light smudge by the end of the day, but I don't physically wash them off 'till the next morning.

 

[Kotton]

Hi everyone. I just have a question about Wednesday. Are you supposed to leave the ashes on all day, or wash them off when you get home?

Leave them on and cause all the non-Christians to ask why you didn't wash your face. .

Kotton

 

[SamInService]

Leave them on and cause all the non-Christians to ask why you didn't wash your face. .

Kotton

Yes--that actually happened to me a couple of years ago! I was talking to one of my former colleagues who, as a point of courtesy, noted that I had a smudge on my face and that I might want to wash. She was quite embarrassed when I pointed out what it was!

God bless,
Sam

 

[Paul S]

Yes--that actually happened to me a couple of years ago! I was talking to one of my former colleagues who, as a point of courtesy, noted that I had a smudge on my face and that I might want to wash. She was quite embarrassed when I pointed out what it was!

Ash Wednesday is a great opportunity for sharing our faith with our non-Catholic neighbours.

 

[Dream]

I usually go to an evening Mass, so I don't usually have the opportunity to walk around with ashes for the entire day.

 

[princess_ballet]

I won't be able to go this year, but its fun to leave them on when you go!

 

[ZooMom]

We always receive our ashes at the first morning service. The kids want to have theirs when they are at school, because they like it when other kids ask what they are. The first year I received the ashes and was working in an office, people actually came up to me and (after I explained what was on my head) told me that they had never given any thought to the idea that Ash Wednesday even had anything to do with ashes.

 

[black_rain]

Thanks. I'm honestly a little nervous about it. I don't mind people asking, but I go to an, almost completely, hard-core evangelical protestant college. It will be the first time I outwardly acknowledge that catholicism is a part of my life. It will be interesting, to say the least.

 

[ukok]

The children may receive the ashes at their Catholic Schools, but I think we may all go to the evening Mass on Wednesday, because I can't be sure that their schools will have a Mass...sometimes it turns out that I go to mass in the day expecting them to have had Mass, but then they don't and we end up all having to go out at night anyway, so it's best if I wait and see.

Anyway, don't do what I did last year...I had a terrible migraine and besides medicine, I also applied Forhead stick (a substance that relieves pain) to my forhead....because of the pain i was in (and fearing not making it to Mass) I applied lot's....as the lines formed to proceed to the Priest to receive the ashes, I was before my children....as we left Mass the kids said "What was in the ashes,MUM..my head feel's like it's on fire, and my forhead is stinging"....

God Bless.

 

[ukok]

Thanks. I'm honestly a little nervous about it. I don't mind people asking, but I go to an, almost completely, hard-core evangelical protestant college. It will be the first time I outwardly acknowledge that catholicism is a part of my life. It will be interesting, to say the least.

How fat are the priest's fingers and thumbs


Seriously, the 'old' parish priest (who has since semi retired to another parish) had a pretty plump thumb and we had big ash crosses on our forehead's, lastyear


God Bless.

 

[ZooMom]

Prayers going up for you, black rain. Be steadfast.

 

[ZooMom]

The children may receive the ashes at their Catholic Schools, but I think we may all go to the evening Mass on Wednesday, because I can't be sure that their schools will have a Mass...sometimes it turns out that I go to mass in the day expecting them to have had Mass, but then they don't and we end up all having to go out at night anyway, so it's best if I wait and see.

Anyway, don't do what I did last year...I had a terrible migraine and besides medicine, I also applied Forhead stick (a substance that relieves pain) to my forhead....because of the pain i was in (and fearing not making it to Mass) I applied lot's....as the lines formed to proceed to the Priest to receive the ashes, I was before my children....as we left Mass the kids said "What was in the ashes,MUM..my head feel's like it's on fire, and my forhead is stinging"....

God Bless.

LOL!! Only you! Priceless! People probably went home thinking that their burning forehead was some kind of sign.

 

[ZooMom]

How fat are the priest's fingers and thumbs


Seriously, the 'old' parish priest (who has since semi retired to another parish) had a pretty plump thumb and we had big ash crosses on our forehead's, lastyear


God Bless.

For real! Last year (I think it was last year) Father gave me a cross I won't soon forget. Pitch black from temple to temple and from hairline to mid-nose. I didn't rub it off, but I did 'reduce' it a tad. :o

 

[ukok]

LOL!! Only you! Priceless! People probably went home thinking that their burning forehead was some kind of sign.

Yes, and it wasn't even Pentecost,yet!

 

[krstlros]

Last year, I was watching CNN and noticed several politicians and celebs with ashes on their foreheads. Interesting how you can tell who the Catholics are by the Ashes on their forehead.

 

[Credo]

People here at my office have gotten pretty used to seeing me "ashed up" once a year. There are still a few that I'll run into that will say "Hey! You've got something on your forehead!" I merely explain that it's Ash Wednesday and they usually just say "Oh yeah!"

JMJ