Changing The Words

[HeavenlyCalling]

When I recieved the ashes on Wednesday, Father didn't say the usual "Remember you are dust, and unto dust you shall return" he said something else, I dont really remember. Does anyone know why they dont say the traditional Ashes thing?

[Lil Red]

as far as i know, there are a couple of options for the priest/lay minister to use.

one of which is the traditional (which you quoted). another is "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel" - which i think is totally new-agey (but that's just my opinion).

i actually got "Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel" to which i wanted to reply "Umm, I'm here, at Ash Wednesday Mass, getting ashes - don't you think I already [u]believe[/u] in the Gospel????"

[Noel's angel]

We've always had 'Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel'. For ever and ever and ever, as long as I can remember.

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

[quote name='Lil Red' post='1203327' date='Feb 23 2007, 01:51 PM']as far as i know, there are a couple of options for the priest/lay minister to use.

one of which is the traditional (which you quoted). another is "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel" - which i think is totally new-agey (but that's just my opinion).[/quote]
I actually kind of dig it. Reminds me of the beginnings of Jesus' ministry:
"The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel."
Mark 1:15 (D-R)

[Resurrexi]

At all the Novus Ordo Missæ Ash Wednesday Masses I've attended (There is no TLM in my diocese save on Sundays and Holydays) the priest always says the translation of "Quia pulvis es et in púlverem revertéris" when he applies the blessed ashes to my forehead.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='thedude' post='1203431' date='Feb 23 2007, 01:33 PM']I actually kind of dig it. Reminds me of the beginnings of Jesus' ministry:
"The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel."
Mark 1:15 (D-R)[/quote]
i'll quote the [url="http://theanchoressonline.com/"]Anchoress[/url], who says it far better than i:

[quote][url="http://theanchoressonline.com/2007/02/21/remember-you-are-dust/"]http://theanchoressonline.com/2007/02/21/r...r-you-are-dust/[/url]

A few years ago a deacon pal and I were discussing ashes. He was helping to distribute them for the first time in his parish and was trying to decide if he would use the old smudge-formula, “Remember you are dust and into dust you shall return,” or if he would forego that for the “new, improved, feel-good” formula, “Turn away from sin and believe the Gospel.”

I could only tell him that I didn’t need to be treated like a delicate flower with some benign advice about believing the Gospel. “If we’re Christians and we’re there receiving ashes, isn’t it pretty much a given that we’re already believing the Gospel? [b]No, please, say it the old way - it’s a pithy reminder that we should ask ourselves - if we die tomorrow - have we been living our lives to right purpose?[/b] We hear nothing but happy platitudes about our specialness from the rest of the world (and too many lecterns) every single day. [b]For this one day, let us face some cold, hard truth.”[/b]

He wrote me the other day that he remembered that conversation and that this year he will be reminding people that they are dust…I’m glad.

We need to hear it from time to time, that no matter what we do we’re going to die.

Ash Wednesday is a good time to take a look at how we’re living our lives, which are over quickly. Are we fully living the lives for which God loved us into being, or just treading water waiting for the next wave?

How are we managing our time and talents? Are we fully utilizing the gifts with which we (every one of us) were born? Are we sharing them, being generous with them?

What about the rest of our time - the few weeks or decades we have left? Maybe you haven’t murdered anyone this week, but have you been indulging in some so-called “innocent gossip” at work today? Is that what you were born for?

Have you been sitting at your computer for four hours tapping out one vile word after another in an unstoppable seizure of hate for anyone with whom you disagree? Is that the purpose for which you were begotten - loved into being?

Have you been slacking off at home, taking people for granted? Is that what you do with the love that has been given to you?

Seen in the light of eternity our lives are mere momentary blips, little flashes here and gone, noted only by the Eternal, who waits for our return, who says, “come back to me, with all your heart…” (Hosea 14:2-10).

Today, we acknowledge that we are finite, that we will not last, and that all of our fusses and furies won’t matter much, really, in the end. But our love - how much we have loved, or how little - that will define us, both in this life and the next.

In a world and an era where humility is for losers, we take a little time to let ourselves be humbled. And in that humility, we find some commonality, and perhaps inspiration to do better - to work on ourselves a bit - and to seek reconciliation where we can.[/quote]

[Moneybags]

I heard "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel" and I was gravely disappointed. My priest however said "Dust thou art..." when he put the ashes on the forehead of children. I wanted the traditional way! I find the reminder of my own death to be inspiration to live a holy Lent.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

dUSt probably thinks the formula is "Remember, thou art [webmaster] and into [webmaster] thou shall return."

[Lil Red]

[Theologian in Training]

Everyone around me (all the Eucharistic Ministers) chose to say "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel," me, I chose the other one: "Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return"

Like everyone else said, I think it is a more powerful reminder of what Lent means, though the other one is OK, just not one I particularly like

God Bless