Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Perryville.HOLY MASS, BLESSING AND IMPOSITION OF THE ASHES I pray you take the time to ponder their meaning in your life and may be so moved to attend the place of your worship Wednesday next so as to enter into the mysteries of the ashes, the mysteries of our faith in the Lord Jesus.įather Rich Wehrmeyer is the associate pastor at St. So, as you might gather, ashes are sign and symbol of many things and times. Similarly, we current-day believers marked with just a little of the stuff on our foreheads desire the same reprieve from our Lord if in the event we have committed any offense against God and or neighbor. More importantly, it was believed if the Lord God Almighty saw the humiliated ash-covered persons or things, He would relent of any anger and take pity on them. Yes, ash rituals used for the sake of punishment was a common theme. Something truly to be avoided if at all possible! Imagine the smell, the coarseness upon the skin, the dirtiness of it all. In ancient biblical times ashes were used to place somebody or something in an uncomfortable position.Ī man, his family, even his beast of burden could find themselves covered in or standing/sitting within a pit of ashes for an extended period of time. This prayer has more recently been added to the ritual as a way of putting a more positive spin on it all.ĭeath might be important to highlight, but fidelity to life in Jesus’ name is a brighter perspective.
The second oration beckons the recipient of the ashes to repent from sin in one’s life for the sake of discipleship in Christ. Why not begin it with the symbol of that which we will decompose.
The first one certainly expresses the notion of mortality, and the imminence of death for each and every human being.ĭeath to sin is one of the clarion calls of the days of Lent. They are either: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” or, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel.” One of two orations can be used as the one administering the ashes applies the material. Now, the remnant of that festivity is smeared upon one’s forehead in the shape of a cross to remind him and her of the life, death and resurrection of the same Lord Jesus Christ. Remember on that occasion the congregation held up high and waved the branches in jubilation of the entrance of the Messiah, Jesus Christ into our midst. Well, I hope to answer a few of those musings in the remaining paragraphs.įirst off, the stuff of the ashes themselves is traditionally and commonly made from palm branches which were used at the previous years’ Palm Sunday celebration. What does it mean? What is the ritual all about? Why ashes? More than a few of the churches throughout Perry County will hold services which will include the imposition of ashes primarily upon the forehead of those in attendance. Next Wednesday will mark the beginning of one of the holier periods of the year, the season of Lent.
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