TOPIC: Amazing insight into Ash Wednesday, man and the dust
Whenever the Catholics move for an occasion, it is like a massive troop that could run into hundreds of thousands. So it was two days ago (Wednesday February 10) when practicing faithfuls of the Catholic Church worldwide trooped into their respective cathedrals for the traditional Ash Wednesday ceremony, a ritual of sobriety of sort.
Our correspondent reports that the large auditorium of Christ the King Catholic Church cathedral situated at 60, Igbehinadun Street, Akowonjo in Lagos, was an explosion of people, the young, the old and children, even infants of their mummy’s backs before the dawn ofWednesday.
The next two hours witnessed a procession of members going before the officiating priest, Catechist John Mary Emeka, who drew patterns with ashes to the forehead of members, muttering the words, ‘Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return’, quoting the Holy Book of Genesis 3:19.
The Daily Times gathered that the ritual which could not be completed in the morning session alone was repeated at noon, and yet another session in the evening of same day.
In an exclusive discourse with The Daily Times, one of the officiating priests, Catechist Nicholas Obi took our correspondent into the history behind the worldwide practice.
“Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. The day marks a season of sobriety, penance and reflection which prepares Christians for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which redemption was attained. As a doctrine, we observe this day with prayer and fasting.”
The priest further revealed that Ash Wednesday also is a holy day of obligation; that is, a day on which all practicing Catholics are required to go to Mass.
“We are aware that The Anglican Book of Common Prayer also designates Ash Wednesday as a day of fasting, but in other Christian denominations, these practices are optional, with the main focus being on repentance.”
Origin of the doctrine
According to records made available to The Daily Times, Ash Wednesday started from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. Ashes are ceremonially placed on the heads of Christians on Ash Wednesday, either by being sprinkled over their heads or, in English-speaking countries, more often by being marked on their foreheads as a visible cross.
The manner of imposing ashes depends largely on local custom, since no fixed rule has been laid down. Writings from the Second-Century Church refer to wearing of ashes as a sign of penance.
Throwing more insight into the doctrine, Rev Fr Ignatius Okoligwe, also of the Christ the King Cathedral said ashes obtained from burnt palm is a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help faithfuls develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice.
“Priests administer ashes during Mass and all are invited to accept the ashes as a visible symbol of penance. Even non-Christians and the excommunicated are welcome to receive the ashes.”
The Daily Times learnt that the ashes come from blessed palm branches taken from the previous year’s Palm Sunday Mass.
It is not required that a person wears the ashes for the rest of the day, and they may be washed off after Mass. However, it was observed that many faithful keep the ashes as a reminder until the evening.
On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Latin Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 (whose health enables them to do so) are permitted to consume only one full meal, which may be supplemented by two smaller meals, which together should not equal the full meal. Some Catholics will go beyond the minimum obligations demanded by the Church and undertake a complete fast or a bread and water fast.
Eating meats during Lent
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of abstinence from meat (mammals and fowl), as are all Fridays during Lent. Some Catholics continue fasting throughout Lent, as the Church’s traditional requirement.
Biblical significance of ashes
Ashes were used in ancient times to express grief. When Tamar was raped by her half-brother, ‘she sprinkled ashes on her head, tore her robe, and with her face buried in her hands, went away crying’ (2 Samuel 13:19).
The gesture was also used to express sorrow for sins and faults. In Job 42:3–6, Job says to God: “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
The prophet Jeremiah calls for repentance by saying: ‘O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes’ (Jeremiah 6:26).
The prophet Daniel recounted pleading to God: ‘I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes’ (Daniel 9:3).
Just prior to the New Testament period, the rebels fighting for Jewish independence, the Maccabees, prepared for battle using ashes: ‘That day, they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes’ (1 Maccabees 3:47; see also 4:39).
Examples of the practice among Jews are found in several other books of the Bible, including Numbers 19:9, 19:17, Jonah 3:6, Book of Esther 4:1, and Hebrews 9:13.
Jesus is quoted as speaking of the practice in Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13: “If the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago (sitting) in sackcloth and ashes.”
Is man really dust?
Catechist Romanus Obi, one of the priests that ministered on the last Ash Wednesday, revealed that in affirmation with the doctrine in Christendom, the ashes symbolise the dust from which God made man.
“That is why the priest applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, and speaks the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Alternatively, the priest may add the words, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
But in dramatic turn from the worldwide doctrine, researcher, cleric and teacher of Omni-science, Mr. Ovie Daniel of the Homslive! Ministriesin Lagos vehemently argued that man is not dust, and his presentation was breathtaking.
Ovie gave a small insight into the man-ash-doctrine of the Church at an evening lecture held yesterday (Thursday at the Isheri Annex of the Ministry.
“Just as the Garden of Eden, man’s first home has not been located anywhere under the sun by researchers, so man has not been identified in the teachings of the Church,” he began.
“Even mystiques and philosophers are still gropping in the dark, but let me show you the world of difference between man and the dust in this issue of Ash Wednesday.
“God made man in His own image, after His Likeness as the Scriptures revealed, but that does not make man the image because he was ‘created in(side) of it; he lives there as a tenant while on earth.
“Neither is man the Likeness of God because man was created after the structure like God Himself, which is, One God in Three Persons and by extension, one man in three persons (his Soul, Spirit and Human person): the real man is neither of his three man persons.
”Now, the one that is dust in the creation of man is the human person, this blood/flesh vessel inside which God put man for the purpose of dwelling here for a time spell.
“So the picture is, after the rebellion in Genesis 3, the man made from dust – the human being or person that is – took charge. He is the one being anointed with ash and told that unto dust he will return:
“That is true, but man who will stand before the judgment seat of his Maker is not the person that will be buried six feet into the belly of earth after he dies.
“The Ash Wednesday doctrine therefore is good in that the person-of-dust – the human being – should be reminded constantly that though he or she is in charge while still breathing, his/her place is in the dust because God made no provision for him beyond here.
“But the Church should not lose sight of the real man who the Creator will call to give account of all that he did or permitted to be done to God’s own image all the while he lived inside on planet earth. That is more important. Read that condition for yourself in o part with the person-of-dust though he lives in him for now.”
Who then is man?
“Man, in his incarnate personae, is immortal and invisible being. He has no part with the person-of-dust though he lives in him for now.”
Can you break that down a little, please?
“Well, man has no form whether of eternal, spiritual or natural/material substance, which is why God needed to package him inside three separate, distinct persons for him to be able to dwell here.
“Although man blew his assignment in Genesis 3, he has a chance to save himself through the Gospel of Salvation of Christ. Man is actually the one Christ came to salvage and purchase from the grip of the law.”
Well, what do you think?
