Ash Wednesday

See also: Ashes

For the Catholic S, the Ash Wednesday is one day of Pénitence which marks the beginning of the Lent. It takes place the shortly after the fatty Tuesday, and is the 1st day of the Lent. It is a movable Feast. It marks the end of the carnival (the word carnival comes from low-Latin carnelevamen which means action to remove the meat ).

Among first Christians, this day was that where were made public penitences: the penitent ones presented as a sign of affliction the covered head of ashes. Today, there are no more similar penitences, but the faithful ones go to the church, where the priest their trace a cross on the face with ash, by pronouncing this verse of the Genèse (3, 19): Memorandum, homo, quia pulvis be, and in pulverem reverteris . “Man remember that you are dust and that you will turn over in dust. ” The formula “Converted, believe in the Gospel” is also possible. This ceremony was instituted by Gregoire Ier.

“ Mardochée, having learned all that occurred, tore its clothing, was wrapped of a bag and was covered with ash. Then it went in the middle of the city by pushing with force of the bitter cries ” (Livre of Esther 4,1). the bag and ash are related to old habits of Expiation and Pénitence. The imposition of ash to the face of penitent is an evocation symbolic system of death. These ashes are obtained into extreme the blessed branches the previous year the Palm Sunday. Ashes are they even blessed solemnly before the mass.

All the faithful catholics are held with the abstinence and the fast the Ash Wednesday (guns 1249 to 1251 of the Code of Canonical Right) except restrictions of age (gun 1252).

See too

catholic liturgical Calendar

Partial source

Be-X-old: Папялец

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