Who celebrates Ash Wednesday?

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March 5th is the start of Lent and a solemn season for Christians. Several liturgical rubrics/ customs include reciting the Apostles creed instead of Nicene creed, no Alleluias, veil over the altar crucifix

Our foreheads are crossed in ash, fasting and private confession.
 
EvangelCatholic said:
March 5th is the start of Lent and a solemn season for Christians. Several liturgical rubrics/ customs include reciting the Apostles creed instead of Nicene creed, no Alleluias, veil over the altar crucifix

Our foreheads are crossed in ash, fasting and private confession.
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We will have a service followed by the first of a series of Lenten potlucks.
 
House_Harkonnen said:
We will have a service followed by the first of a series of Lenten potlucks.
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That is a Lutheran custom of Lenten Vespers followed by or preceded by a modest potluck; sometimes just soup. The Eucharist has replaced Wednesday Vespers in most parishes around here.
 
EvangelCatholic said:
That is a Lutheran custom of Lenten Vespers followed by or preceded by a modest potluck; sometimes just soup. The Eucharist has replaced Wednesday Vespers in most parishes around here.
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Sounds about right. This will be my first Lent and Easter as a Lutheran, so I don’t know what to expect with the potluck. Whether it was going to be more modest or more sumptuous. I am just going to ask around.
 
For us Great Lent starts on the evening of March 2nd, with Forgiveness Vespers. It’s a Vespers service where at the end we have the “Rite of Forgiveness.” That’s where you go up to everyone in the parish, in a line, and do a half-prostration before them to recognize the image of Christ in them. Then we say “Forgive me, a sinner” and they respond with something like “God forgives, and I forgive.” Then you switch phrases and kiss each other on the cheeks. The next day is the first full day of Lent, what we call Clean Monday.
 
I went last year for the first time. I work nights so I left the ashes on and went to my job. Got a few comments but all were respectful. I’ll see how it goes this year. Been feeling push from above to be more obvious in my faith. Deep sigh, all things are possible through God right?
 
Here in the UK Ash Wednesday is a day of obligation - ‘remember man that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return’ - a day in which we should take some time out to reflect upon our priorities in life, to think upon the temporal and the immortal.
 
EvangelCatholic said:
March 5th is the start of Lent and a solemn season for Christians. Several liturgical rubrics/ customs include reciting the Apostles creed instead of Nicene creed, no Alleluias, veil over the altar crucifix

Our foreheads are crossed in ash, fasting and private confession.
Click to expand...
I’ll start my day by changing the altar cloths from the green of Ordinary Time to the purple of the Lenten Time. I’ll attend my usual morning Mass & receive Communion & my Ashes. I’ll then go to my homebound to bring them Communion & Ashes. It is is also a day of fast & abstinence. For the next 40 days, we will be journeying through the “desert” of fasting, prayer, & almsgiving as we travel toward the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection at Easter.
 
Mount_Carmel said:
Here in the UK Ash Wednesday is a day of obligation - ‘remember man that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return’ - a day in which we should take some time out to reflect upon our priorities in life, to think upon the temporal and the immortal.
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Actually, sorry, no , Ash Wednesday is NOT a Holyday of Obligation in the UK.

If you go to the website of the Catholic Bishops if England and Wales (just google 'holydays of obligation UK) the only HDOs for the UK are listed, and Ash Wednesday is not among them.

Are you in Scotland? Perhaps it is different there.
 
Oops, I am out of date then 😊 . Anyway, masses in which the administering of ashes takes place are commonly held that day. I will be going to an evening service - God willing.
 
It’s a Principal Holy Day in the Church of England. Our Cathedral is holding a Solemn Eucharist with imposition of ashes and a liturgical performance of Allegri’s Miserere Mei, Deus.

At our little Parish Church we’ll have the Great Litany, Sung Eucharist and imposition of ashes. Abou 75% of the regular congregation usually attend.
 
Unlike Christmas or Easter one does not ‘celebrate’ Ash Wednesday.

It is traditionally a day of mourning, penance, fasting and abstinence when we remember our sins and the increasing evil of the world. For 40 days one is supposed to mortify oneself & try to make atonement for the evil we have committed in the past year in the hope that we will be ready/purified to greet the Risen Christ on Easter Morn. During this period we should abstain from small luxuries - chocs. cigs. booze, TV, movies. InterNet.
( If we can’t then we should ask: Am I addicted to this stuff?

Even atheists now realize that an annual period of 'cleansing/abstinence ’ works wonders for the body ( as well as the soul.)
 
I am not sure “celebrate” is a good term for the first day of a period of penance? :confused:
 
andrewstx said:
I am not sure “celebrate” is a good term for the first day of a period of penance? :confused:
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Good point though the observation of Christ’s Passion includes our redemption and that is a celebration, of sorts.
 
Anyone remember the ‘Gesima Sundays’ when pre Lent immediately followed the Feast of the Transfiguration? I don’t think the crucifix/ statues were veiled but flowers were subdued/ purple vestments/ paraments.
 
EvangelCatholic said:
Anyone remember the ‘Gesima Sundays’ when pre Lent immediately followed the Feast of the Transfiguration? I don’t think the crucifix/ statues were veiled but flowers were subdued/ purple vestments/ paraments.
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We still follow the “…Gesima” Sundays.Purple vestments, IIRC, statues not veiled.

GKC
 
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