Scottish Catholic Member of Parliament Happy to Wear Ashes in UK Parliament Despite Being Told "This Is Going To Be Broadcast."

[mdgspencer]

see sconews.co.uk/news/52732/scottish-catholic-mp-happy-to-wear-ashes-in-parliament-despite-being-told-this-is-going-to-be-broadcast/
Catholic Member of Parliament Carol Monaghan has said Christians should not feel embarrassed about practising their religion in public after she took part in a parliamentary select committee meeting on Ash Wednesday with a cross on her forehead.

For an article about coming onto a public form with Ash Wednesday ashes, see catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2017/ashtags-when-posting-ash-wednesday-photos-use-your-head.cfm

 

[ClearWater]

Good for her!

 

[GLam8833]

“But make no mistake about it: Faith, while personal, is not solely meant to be a private affair,” she wrote in a column for The Compass, Green Bay’s diocesan newspaper, last Lent. “Ash Wednesday is a day when we literally wear our faith on our forehead.”

I shared w/ an fellow soup kitchen regular
about receiving of ashes on Ash Wednesday,
and fasting if necessary, it really surprised him
to hear about this Catholic Tradition!!

 

[JPUSC]

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven…"

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you…”

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 6

 

[twf]

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven…"

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you…”

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 6

http://www.wdtprs.com/images/10_02_17_biden_ashes.jpg

I don’t think these verses apply here. Our Lord was speaking within the context of a very religious society (first century Jewish Palestine). Outward expressions of piety were socially advantageous. The Pharisees and Scribes the Lord constantly rebuked “showed off” their piety to get attention…to get praise from the people.
In a post-Christian, secular society like the UK, this MP will be ridiculed if anything. She isn’t going to be praised for what she did nor, do I think, is that her intention. She is witnessing her faith. She is being courageous. Its like making the sign of the cross before dinner in a restaurant…that can be a witness to the faith as well. Western society needs witnesses to the faith.

 

[user1234]

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven…"

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you…”

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 6

http://www.wdtprs.com/images/10_02_17_biden_ashes.jpg

Wearing ashes in public can be a great way to share your faith with people, because they ask!

 

[MaryT777]

I don’t think these verses apply here. Our Lord was speaking within the context of a very religious society (first century Jewish Palestine). Outward expressions of piety were socially advantageous. The Pharisees and Scribes the Lord constantly rebuked “showed off” their piety to get attention…to get praise from the people.
In a post-Christian, secular society like the UK, this MP will be ridiculed if anything. She isn’t going to be praised for what she did nor, do I think, is that her intention. She is witnessing her faith. She is being courageous. Its like making the sign of the cross before dinner in a restaurant…that can be a witness to the faith as well. Western society needs witnesses to the faith.

Well said.

 

[_Abyssinia]

Good for her!

 

[johnnyc176]

Wearing ashes in public can be a great way to share your faith with people, because they ask!

I agree but just because one is wearing ashes does not mean they would be the right person to ask about what Jesus teaches.

 

[ctb95]

Yay! It’s encouraging to see a public figure who is not afraid of their faith!

 

[SecretCatholic]

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven…"

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you…”

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 6

We had the related reading on the Ash Wednesday Mass I went to. The priest said it was a somewhat ironic reading, considering that we were about to advertise our religion by having ashes put on our foreheads.

If you think about it, the whole practice of Ash Wednesday would go against Church teaching if this truly applied in the way you seem to be indicating. Instead, the above passages are about avoiding sinful pride or turning a spiritual practice into a public show for the sake of impressing others. It does not indicate that we should hide our Catholic faith or a symbol of our faith, such as a crucifix or ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday.

 

[Justin_Swanton]

We had the related reading on the Ash Wednesday Mass I went to. The priest said it was a somewhat ironic reading, considering that we were about to advertise our religion by having ashes put on our foreheads.

If you think about it, the whole practice of Ash Wednesday would go against Church teaching if this truly applied in the way you seem to be indicating. Instead, the above passages are about avoiding sinful pride or turning a spiritual practice into a public show for the sake of impressing others. It does not indicate that we should hide our Catholic faith or a symbol of our faith, such as a crucifix or ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday.

Yep. On the same lines of “Call no man your father”. If that was applied literally in every context it would complicate life somewhat. “Hi, I’d like you to meet my mother and…er…other parent.”

 

[user1234]

I agree but just because one is wearing ashes does not mean they would be the right person to ask about what Jesus teaches.

Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be.

 

[Vouthon]

Excellent!

 

[ToeInTheWater]

If you think about it, the whole practice of Ash Wednesday would go against Church teaching if this truly applied in the way you seem to be indicating. Instead, the above passages are about avoiding sinful pride or turning a spiritual practice into a public show for the sake of impressing others. It does not indicate that we should hide our Catholic faith or a symbol of our faith, such as a crucifix or ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday.

There is a similar debate going on about people posting selfies of their ash adorned foreheads under the hashtag “#ashtag”.

I think there is a difference between presenting yourself as a Christian to show sinful pride, and merely refusing to hide your faith. I suppose considering the overall (poor) reputation of politicians these days, it’s easy to assume this MP was sinning in some way. But at least in the current UK I doubt wearing ashes would be “for the sake of impressing others”.

 

[Jared2914]

It is great to see a politician with such faith! We need more of these in the world, not like all those liberal Catholics who hide behind “separation of church and state”.

 

[RomanoAmerio]

My workplace is fairly secular, but not offensively so. When I walk into work on Ash Wednesday, a few colleagues look at me with concern and ask me if I’ve bumped my head. Their concern is touching.