Eastern Catholics, do you go to Ash Wednesday Mass to receive ashes?

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I guess for those like myself who grew up Roman Catholic, or to those who just enjoy living the fullness of all Catholic traditions available to them. Last year I was back home in the Philippines when Lent started, so I began Lent as a Roman Catholic and went to Mass and received ashes. This will be the first Lent that I am fully Eastern Catholic, but somehow growing up Roman Catholic I feel drawn to receive ashes to start Lent.

Anyone else going to Mass on Wednesday?
 
I’m going, but that is because I’m the director of music at a Latin Parish.
 
I’m actually going to a Mass on Tuesday evening for the kickoff of the local 40 Days for Life campaign. Although I don’t know if there will be ashes on the eve of Ash Wednesday.
 
I’ll get ashes on Ash Monday at a local Maronite Church. My spouse insists that they are a sacrament and that I have mortally sinned if I don’t receive ashes
 
beloved1 said:
I’ll get ashes on Ash Monday at a local Maronite Church. My spouse insists that they are a sacrament and that I have mortally sinned if I don’t receive ashes
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Sacramental not sacrament. The latter was instituted by Jesus the former was instituted by his church. And no it is not a mortal sin, unless it is a holy day of obligation or the eastern equivalent.
 
beloved1 said:
I’ll get ashes on Ash Monday at a local Maronite Church. My spouse insists that they are a sacrament and that I have mortally sinned if I don’t receive ashes
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Not true. Inego de Loyola (post above) is quite correct about this.
 
I`m going because it is the only Catholic service I have available to me in this area and I like to do something liturgical to mark the beginning of Lent even though I will already have been two days into Lent;)
Actually you could also put me into the group Constantine described as one of those who enjoy living the fullness of all Catholic traditions available to them.
 
beloved1 said:
I’ll get ashes on Ash Monday at a local Maronite Church. My spouse insists that they are a sacrament and that I have mortally sinned if I don’t receive ashes
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Sometimes it is hard to read on the internet, but I’m pretty sure I detected humor in this statement.

Yes, I’m going to Mass on Ash Wednesday. I grew up Eastern, but attended Catholic school at a Latin Rite parish, so I grew up with Ash Wednesday. It is a tradition that my husband holds dear. For that same reason, we’ll probably pray the Stations of the Cross at some point during Lent.
 
Hesychios said:
Not true. Inego de Loyola (post above) is quite correct about this.
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The ashes were originally part of the penance involved with the sacrament of confession. Those still doing penance and therefore not admitted to communion wore ashes on their head. This was not an integral part of the sacrament, but a disciplinary custom. Later people preparing for lent began to use it as a sign of their repentance from sin. It isn’t the sacrament of confession nor any of the other six so why do you say it is a sacrament?
 
Inego_de_Loyola said:
The ashes were originally part of the penance involved with the sacrament of confession. Those still doing penance and therefore not admitted to communion wore ashes on their head. This was not an integral part of the sacrament, but a disciplinary custom. Later people preparing for lent began to use it as a sign of their repentance from sin. It isn’t the sacrament of confession nor any of the other six so why do you say it is a sacrament?
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He isn’t saying that. His post says just the opposite.
 
I won’t be going. I’m hoping my parish will be offering DL on Monday, but I’ll have to wait for this week’s bulletin. I’d love to go to Forgiveness Vespers this year, but I know that won’t be happening. I don’t think my daughter would be able to make it through. 😃
 
An anecdote from Fr Benedict Groeschel. A Jewish woman received ashes from him and he later asked her why she did so. She said, “It’s free and it can’t hurt!”
 
ByzCathCantor said:
I do believe that the Maronite Church practices the Imposition of Ashes on Clean Monday. It would be helpful if one of our regular Maronite contributors could confirm this.
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Yes, we maintain the custom of the imposition of ashes on Clean Monday. There was a thread about this almost exactly 2 years back, and I’ll reiterate now what I said [post=6308943]then[/post]:

Of course it’s a borrowing (nice way to say latinization ) and dates at least from the 16th century. The service itself is more an adaptation, though, and about the only thing that is a translation of the Latin form is the actual formula of imposition. It’s one of the rare latinizations that I don’t argue against, since it does have a direct scriptural and, by extension, Oriental connection.

Interesting vignette: a few years ago I had to accompany a friend to the ER on Clean Monday and when he saw the ashes on my forehead, the doctor on duty asked if I was Orthodox. As it happens, he was Orthodox (Antiochian) and it was a year where the dates coincided. He ended up explaining Clean Monday to one of the nurses (who had no clue), and from that exchange I had the distinct impression that imposition of ashes is not unknown among at least the Antiochian Orthodox, although I’ve never heard that they actually have the custom.
 
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