Why is Ash Wednesday not a Holy Day of Obligation?

[Michie]

I know it's not. I'm talking to myself as well. If we truly knew what it was we go to Mass for, we would not think twice about going. But it is hard, hard to understand. I think the problem is that we try to work in Mass into or lives instead of working our lives into Mass. It's like we have our lives over here and Mass is worked into that. Our lives should revolved around Mass but it doesn't. If the Church didn't make it an obligation, we'd probably never go.

True.

 

[benedictaoo]

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METAIRIE, La. —Now that Carnival parades and parties are over Christians around the world are turning their focus to the Lenten season.

CHRISTIANS ACROSS SE LOUISIANA PREPARE FOR LENTEN AT ASH...

Now that Carnival parades and parties are over, many Christians across the world are turning their focus to the Lenten season, preparing to celebrate Easter.

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• METAIRIE CHURCH OFFERS NEW-AGED OPTION FOR ASH WEDNESDAY...
  
  To receive their Ash Wednesday ashes and blessings, most people made the way to some sort of church service today.
  
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For a second year in a row, ministers at Munholland United Methodist Church took a new approach to the centuries-old Christian tradition of Ash Wednesday, offering churchgoers the option of driving up get their ashes.

More than 500 people drove up to the parking lot for blessing and ashes last year, so associate minister Anna Kate Rawles said church leaders decided to bring it back this Ash Wednesday.

“So our thought behind it was, we think the church should be able to meet people where they are-- that folks shouldn't have to come into the doors of the church to meet the presence of God. So we brought it outside,” Rawles said.

Some think the practice allows Christians to take a short cut on a sacred day that is about self-sacrificing. But Rawles, her fellow ministers and the dozens of people with whom they prayed believe otherwise.

“We love to have people come and sit in church. That is the best way to do it -- to come and worship as a community,” Rawles said. “But there are also people that just can't do it, and so we don't think that they should miss out on worship opportunities.”

“I was going to miss it this morning at my church. So I came to the drive-thru because my daughter has a 9 o'clock appointment. This made it much easier for me to come here,” Erica Godfrey said.

“It's good for the elderly and the handicapped. If you're a working person it's good too,” Lloyd Navarro said.

The church will offer a traditional service at 6:30 p.m.

Click here for information on other Catholic Ash Wednesday services.

Click here for information on other Episcopal Ash Wednesday services.

Click here for information on Ash Wednesday services at New Life Community Church in Luling.

Click here for information on Ash Wednesday services at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

I had a bus driver that drives the handicapped around ask for Ashes from me when I was at a facility giving them. He was very pleased to get them. I think it is a good thing myself.

I don't think it's a bad thing, but if we're going to say something about Protestant drive-thrus (which I've never seen), we must acknowledge that ashes on the go isn't much different.

I don't know which churches would do this though. The churches that wouldn't consider Ash Wednesday to be pagan are liturgical and wouldn't have such a system.

 

[Michie]

Good that they are getting them I suppose. (Drive through)

 

[Sword of the Lord]

Of course it would be Methodists and Anglicans. Why not.

 

[Michie]

Lol! I got to scoop the cat box. Be back in a bit!

 

[benedictaoo]

It the mind set is we are too busy and important to make time for God. If we can't find 1 hour to go and do this, then what the heck? why be Christian at all. It's lip service but do not interfere with my life. The guilt should be us feeling bad for not making 1 hour a week for God so He can give Himself to us. We act like we doing Him the favor. We can put aside 1 hour a year to repent and reflect? Give me the ashes and let me be on my way. Ridiculous.

 

[benedictaoo]

Good that they are getting them I suppose. (Drive through)

What good is there in being too busy to take time out to repent and reflect? To confess, to hear the Gospel and to receive communion. Look, our kids are out of school, it's a lazy day and traffic is light. No excuse. We have services every hour on the hour just about. No excuse except selfish me mentality.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

It the mind set is we are too busy and important to make time for God. If we can't find 1 hour to go and do this, then what the heck? why be Christian at all. It's lip service but do not interfere with my life. The guilt should be us feeling bad for not making 1 hour a week for God so He can give Himself to us. We act like we doing Him the favor. We can put aside 1 hour a year to repent and reflect? Give me the ashes and let me be on my way. Ridiculous.

I agree. I think getting the ashes is good in general, but skipping the liturgy is selling yourself short and saying you don't have time for God.

 

[Michie]

A lot of Protestant churches do not have a liturgy so I get it. People work with what they got.

 

[benedictaoo]

I like how they call this new age.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

A lot of Protestant churches do not have a liturgy so I get it. People work with what they got.

Protestant churches celebrating Ash Wednesday would have a liturgy.

 

[Michie]

Protestant churches celebrating Ash Wednesday would have a liturgy.

Not all of them and most Protestants attend their own church or none at all.

 

[CamaroRS]

Some people in our church tonight chose not to stand in line to receive ashes, and they were regulars. I don't really get that.

This should be a holy day of obligation. It kicks off a very important season. I think the fact that someone would even need to have this as a rule to bother attending is sad.

Some are probably christian. God's not concerned about the external also Jesus spoke of this type of practice. Read the book of Matthew chapter 6. Some things were done away with at the cross and now there's a new covenant. Ashes can't wash away your sins, neither can any other made object or tradition or man. Only by Jesus Christ will your sins be forgiven.

 

[Michie]

Some are probably christian. God's not concerned about the external also Jesus spoke of this type of practice. Read the book of Matthew chapter 6. Some things were done away with at the cross and now there's a new covenant. Ashes can't wash away your sins, neither can any other made object or tradition or man. Only by Jesus Christ will your sins be forgiven.

Ummm... Mikhael is well aware of that and so is everyone in this forum. No ashes do not wash away sin. Lol! Silly.

 

[topcare]

Some are probably christian. God's not concerned about the external also Jesus spoke of this type of practice. Read the book of Matthew chapter 6. Some things were done away with at the cross and now there's a new covenant. Ashes can't wash away your sins, neither can any other made object or tradition or man. Only by Jesus Christ will your sins be forgiven.

Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans and other historical Liturgical Christians are Christians and know this. It would be nice if Evangelicals understood Christianity and it's history before assume things

 

[CamaroRS]

Ummm... Mikhael is well aware of that and so is everyone in this forum. No ashes do not wash away sin. Lol! Silly.

Then why do people believe that it should be a holy day of obligation?

 

[Michie]

Because it is the start of the Lenten season. And it is not so much thinking it should be a day of Holy Obligation but wondering why it isn't.

Then why do people believe that it should be a holy day of obligation?

 

[CamaroRS]

I guess it would be a good conversation starter to those who don't have Christ as their savior but other than that all other traditions have been done away with. Even confession boxes I haven't understood yet why people think that does anything to help your sins be forgiven

 

[topcare]

They are Christians stop implying they are not or get reported