....more Ash Wednesday apologetics....

The Wednesday after Quinquagesima Sunday, which is the first day of the Lenten fast.

The name dies cinerum (day of ashes) which it bears in the Roman Missal is found in the earliest existing copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary and probably dates from at least the eighth century. (from http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01775b.htm)

Don’t ask me why, but for some reason I did a search for “Ash Wednesday Services” on my web browser. I already knew where I was going to Mass so why I did it, WHO KNOWS?

Anyway, it was funny (or not), that most of the churches listed first were: Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian and even one Baptist church.

EVERYTHING except for Catholic Churches......

Now, how can all these other churches be having Ash Wednesday Services when the distribution of ashes started in the Catholic Church around the 8^th century?

Their churches weren’t even around till the 1500’s…….

If they truly know that all these rituals came from Catholic tradition, and they bash the Catholic Church for being “ritualistic”, doesn’t that make them hypocrites?

Why would you go to a wannabe church that has the distribution of ashes; that has “communion”; that has “confession” but they do not have the Apostolic succession with the authority to carry out these “rituals” given to them by the Lord God Himself?

If the Catholic Church has always had these “rituals” and your church hasn’t, don’t you think you should investigate more fully why you are not going to the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH?

If your church is making false accusations about the Catholic Church, why would you want to be a part of that hypocrisy?

There is no perfect church because there are no perfect people, but there is only one Church founded by Jesus himself.

That is the Catholic Church.

Happy Lent!

Ash Wednesday apologetics

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them;otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.----Matthew 6;1


While today's readings for the Mass focus on our sinfulness and our need for our Saviour Jesus Christ, something else caught my eye. I noticed that today's Gospel reading is a great apologetic for the "faith vs. works" debate. Of course as Catholics, we believe that we need both, that they are one in the same. We don't separate them as the Protestants do.   Just the first line of the chapter states that "you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father" if we do not do righteous deeds (good works) for the right reason; for the love of God and neighbor. That tells me that there is some kind of recompense (reward) for good works.

That doesn't mean that we can "work our way into Heaven" as our misguided Protestant friends accuse us of, but it does give more evidence that we must have both to live out the Christian faith in it's fullness as the Catholic Church teaches.