Now its Ash Wednesday

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:10 am

Well everybody (well fellow Christians anyway), yesterday was (as you may have heard) Shrove Tuesday (Pancake day), now today its Ash Wednesday, which in Ireland anyway, means you have to eat fish, no meat, go to mass, be guilty for all the bad things in the world, and then get the sign of the cross marked into your forehead by the priest in ashes. And start fasting for your terrible sins, the main one being your own existence. I am unsure of what happens in non-Catholic countries, (but probably nothing seeing as you are all heathens who are going down, you know you are, don't whine), its always interested me this lent thing, and these traditions, despite the fact I am not in the slightest bit religious as a Catholic. So what's happening in other countries today??

Post by **spot** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:42 am

Galbally;555976 wrote: So what's happening in other countries today??

Technically in the Church of England (since the 1662 Book of Common Prayer still remains, in law, its primary liturgical prayer book) we're meant to attend a Service of Commination "to the intent that, being admonished of the great indignation of God against sinners, ye may the rather be moved to earnest and true repentance; and may walk more warily in these dangerous days; fleeing from such vices, for which ye affirm with your own mouths the curse of God to be due". You can find the text of that at http://www.eskimo.com/~lhowell/bcp1662/ ... ation.html and a thundering good read it is too. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a church practising it.

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:58 am

spot;555981 wrote: Technically in the Church of England (since the 1662 Book of Common Prayer still remains, in law, its primary liturgical prayer book) we're meant to attend a Service of Commination "to the intent that, being admonished of the great indignation of God against sinners, ye may the rather be moved to earnest and true repentance; and may walk more warily in these dangerous days; fleeing from such vices, for which ye affirm with your own mouths the curse of God to be due". You can find the text of that at http://www.eskimo.com/~lhowell/bcp1662/ ... ation.html and a thundering good read it is too. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a church practising it.

Yes, repent you sinners, proper order. :wah:

Yes I have seen this book, and the original (well you know, not completely original) King James bible of course, very impressive as a standard scriptural work, (well for protestants! heheheheh:wah: ). Interesting alright.

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 1:01 am

Diuretic;555977 wrote: We're whining about losing against New Zealand in the cricket. I don't know about ashes on the forehead (I remember that when I was a kid, you had to have the smudge on your forehead or you were a dirty, rotten heathen) but plenty of people here want the team to wear sackcloth and ashes

On the religious side - there will be the usual services in the usual places for Christians of various denominations, nothing very different from any other nation in which Christianity is the dominant religion (although we're about as secular as you can get).

Proper order. Sorry about the beating you got, we are preparing for this Ireland-England rugby match in Croker, god if they beat us we will be well sickened, bloody sunday and all that, and I think they might as well, they are on for the grand slam then against the French, and the opportunity to beat us good, in Croke park would be very motivating. Still, we will give em a good game I have no doubt, should be exciting. :-6

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 2:11 am

Galbally;555976 wrote: its always interested me this lent thing, and these traditions, despite the fact I am not in the slightest bit religious as a Catholic.

Don't forget that you also have to give something up for Lent!

I always give up smoking for Lent, every year! :yh_angel

My kids always say thats cheating, because I don't smoke anyway. But I tell them that's a minor technicality and so it still counts! :sneaky:

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 2:16 am

Rapunzel;555998 wrote: Don't forget that you also have to give something up for Lent!

I always give up smoking for Lent, every year! :yh_angel

My kids always say thats cheating, because I don't smoke anyway. But I tell them that's a minor technicality and so it still counts! :sneaky:

I have already given up, and have been off them for 3 weeks, so I have decided to give up sex, as that will be quite easy because I am not getting much. Other than that I guess more usefully I could give up chocolate as thats about my last vice left, but maybe thats just being over-zealous. I dunno, maybe I will give up lent for lent, thats an option. Anyone got any other giving up things.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:00 am

When I was a young and naive hairdresser (ahem) one day all these people with a gray smudge on their forehead came into my beauty school. It didn't look cross shaped or I might have gotten a clue. Just a "dirty" smudge. Fortunately I had the sense not to wash it off while shampooing them but it took me a good three customers before someone explained Ash Wednesday to me. Boy was I embarrassed!

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:00 am

RedGlitter;556024 wrote: When I was a young and naive hairdresser (ahem) one day all these people with a gray smudge on their forehead came into my beauty school. It didn't look cross shaped or I might have gotten a clue. Just a "dirty" smudge. Fortunately I had the sense not to wash it off while shampooing them but it took me a good three customers before someone explained Ash Wednesday to me. Boy was I embarrassed!

Oh GOD is gonna get you for that one, convert before its too late RG! :wah:

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 6:10 am

I grew up Catholic, although I never made my first holy communion(My Mother and brother did)

Here in America we practice all of the religions identical of anywhere else, it's just that because we have such a wide variety of religions some believe we do things differently and that's not the case. Only different religions.

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 6:22 am

K.Snyder;556076 wrote: I grew up Catholic, although I never made my first holy communion(My Mother and brother did)

Here in America we practice all of the religions identical of anywhere else, it's just that because we have such a wide variety of religions some believe we do things differently and that's not the case. Only different religions.

I know that K, don't worry, its just for a laugh.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:05 am

Galbally;556079 wrote: I know that K, don't worry, its just for a laugh.

Basically, what I meant was, we have so many religions, I would be here all day trying to tell you what is happening over here...:wah:

That, and I don't know exactly what alot of the religions do over here

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:05 am

you'll see people here with the smudge (it never looks like a cross....) on their foreheads on Ash wednesday. :-6

my hubby and kids are Protestant Irish so I don't know much else about it.....

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:49 am

Galbally;556051 wrote: Oh GOD is gonna get you for that one, convert before its too late RG! :wah:

:wah: God was probably laughing himself at my stupidity, Galbally! I still can't believe I did that.