The Great Ash Debate MMXIII

It's a perennially favorite topic for Catholics--to wear the ashes on Ash Wednesday or to not wear. So I figure, why not weigh in?

Simply put, it is an individual choice. People should do what they think is best for themselves.

Personally, I have vacillated over the years. Initially (when I first converted to Episcopalianism and later to Catholicism), I was all gung ho about it. Wear 'em! Show 'em! Coming from an evangelical Protestant background, this whole "external witness" thing resonated for me.

Then I ran across Fr. Philip Neri Powell, O.P's blog. (Yes, he is a fellow Dominican, so I'm biased to agree with him. ;) ) He is our perennial, self-anointed Ash Wednesday Grinch. Just take a look at a search of 'ashes' on his blog to see what I mean. I stole the image above from him; he stole it from Jeff Miller. We're all a bunch of thieves! Gives us one more thing to repent of during this penitential season.

He makes a good point, really. It's kind of hard to argue with the whole Gospel passage. Jesus' words are pretty straightforward. Don't put on a show when you fast.  And yet...

Most recently, I think it was last year maybe, the best reason I could find to justify keeping them on is that it is a sacramental, it is in itself a means of grace. Still, last year I think I went in the evening to Ash Wednesday service, so it was kind of a moot point for me.

This year, I probably won't make it to Ask Wednesday service. Pausing, while I wait for gasps of shock and horror. Maybe it's just laziness. I would have gone with my fam, but we have a few sick kiddos right now, so they're not going. As Fr. Philip Neri pointed out, this isn't an Holy Day of Obligation, so it's okay. I'll take my kids being sick as of late as my reminder that we are mortal.

But even if I did go today, I would wipe them off. I've been won over to the Gospel argument.

Anecdotally, an atheist colleague at work lost no time in commenting on some other Catholic here who was wearing her smudge. He turns to me and says, "but Ambrose, you don't have ashes, and you're like the most fanatical über Catholic of them all. She's upstaging you." He also reminded me how he was raised Catholic and so on..

I do try not to be obnoxious and showy about my faith, but I am unapologetic and forthright about it. I'd happily engage in meaningful, thoughtful conversations with him about it, but that never seems to happen because he seems more interested in ridiculing religious people than engaging with them, a sad commonplace amongst contemporary atheists.

I digress. But a takeaway from his comment is that you don't need ashes on your forehead once a year for people to know you are "fanatical" about your faith.

I don't say this as a matter of pride but rather simply as food for thought. All this focus and teeth gnashing about the ashes is missing the point. People should be able to tell you are Catholic the rest of the year, regardless of what you do on Ash Wednesday. If that's not happening, maybe it's time to reflect on why that's not happening rather than focusing on wearing the ashes.

I'll also point out that in all my time seeing people wearing ashes and wearing them myself, including today--not once have I ever observed a meaningful, thoughtful conversation ensue based on, "why do you have a smudge on your forehead?" It just rarely works like that. Without exception in my observation and experience, you explain briefly, and people are like, "oh, ok.  That's cool/interesting/whatever/mumble."  And that's it. 

I'm not against external religious symbols by any means. I'm not telling you to wear or not wear ashes. You need to decide for yourself.  I just think such external symbols need to be a normal, natural, everyday true and real manifestation of the life of faith that you live. If you want to display your faith in some way, or you are bound to do so because of a rule of life that you live under, by all means, do so. But just don't forget that the Holy Spirit is the mover of our hearts towards God. He will open doors to meaningful conversations about the faith. We just need to be ready and listening.

To the Most Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary's Mantle Covering Dominicans (in Choir Loft at Holy Name of Jesus in Fishtown, PA)

Ever since I came across this, it has been one of my favorite prayers. I pray it almost daily. So I thought I'd share it. It is one of many prayers authored by St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P.

TO THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

O most blessed and sweet Virgin Mary,

          Mother of God, filled with all tenderness,

          Daughter of the most high King,

          Lady of the angels,

          Mother of all the faithful,

On this day and all the days of my life,

          I entrust to your merciful heart

               my body and my soul,

               all my acts, thoughts, choices,

               desires, words, deeds,

               my entire life and death,

So that, with your assistance,

          all may be ordered to the good

               according to the will of your beloved Son,

                    our Lord Jesus Christ.

Be to me,

          my most holy Lady,

     a comforter

          and an ally against the stratagems

               and traps of the ancient enemy

               and of all those

                    who harbor ill intentions against me.

From your Beloved Son,

          our Lord Jesus Christ,

     request for me

          the grace to resist firmly 

               the temptations

                    of the world, the flesh, and the devil,

          and a constant resolve

               to sin no more

               and to persevere in your service

                    and the service of your beloved Son.

My most holy Lady,

          I also beseech you to obtain for me

               true obedience and true humility of heart

So that I may recognize myself truly

          as a sinner--wretched and weak--

     and powerless,

               without the grace and help of my Creator

               and without your holy prayers,

          to do any kind of good work

          or even to resist

               the unrelenting assaults of evil.

Procure for me also,

          O my most sweet Lady,

               perpetual purity of mind and body,

     so that with a pure heart and chaste body

          I may be strengthened 

               to serve you and your beloved Son

                    through the Dominican Order.

From Him,

     obtain for me a spirit of poverty

          willingly accepted

               with patience and tranquility of mind,

          so that I will have the strength

               to sustain the labors of this Order

               and to work for my own salvation

                    and that of my neighbors.

Obtain for me as well,

     O most sweet Lady,

          true charity with which

               from the depths of my heart

          I may love

               your most holy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

               and, after Him,

          love you above all other things,

          and love my neighbor

               in God and because of God.

Thereby may I 

          rejoice in his goodness,

          sorrow over his evils,

          despise no one,

          never judge rashly,

          and never in my heart exalt myself over anyone.

Grant, O Queen of Heaven,

          that ever in my heart

               I may have fear and love alike

                    for your most sweet Son;

That I may always give thanks 

          for the many blessings bestowed upon me

               not for my merits

               but by His kindness;

And that I may ever

          make a pure and sincere confession

          and do true penance for my sins,

               in order that I might deserve

                    to obtain His mercy and grace.

I pray also that, at the end of my life,

     you,

          Mother without compare,

          Gate of Heaven,

          and Advocate of sinners,

               will not allow me, your unworthy servant,

                    to stray from the holy Catholic faith

But that you will

          protect me with your great piety and mercy,

          defend me from evil spirits,

     and obtain for me,

          through the blessed and glorious Passion of your Son

               and through your own intercession,

                                    received in hope,

                              the forgiveness of all my sins.

When I die in your love and His love,

     may you direct me

          into the way of salvation and blessedness.

                                   Amen.

Listening

Listening. This was one of the things about being a Dominican that surprised me. St. Dominic was all about listening to people. You'd think an Order of Preachers would be more interested in talking.  But no. Listen first, understand who the persons you are with are, where they are coming from, what they're concerned about, and only after listening, talk to them about that, rather than just spouting talking points, standard argumentation, etc. It's really quite a challenge, not only because listening doesn't come natural to me, but also because it requires a lot of adaptability and a deeper understanding of things, so that you can adapt what you need to say to what people need to hear, what might help them where they are at.

May the Holy Spirit help us be better listeners, to Him and to others. Holy Father Dominic, pray for us.

Disclaimer

As a lay Dominican, I am a member of a venerable, 800-year-old Catholic religious order known as the Order of Preachers. This membership indicates a calling, a vocation to live my life according to the Rule of the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic and in doing so promote accountability for my solemn promise to live that way: to study, to pray, to contemplate--in community--and share what I can with the world. They do not indicate that I speak in an official capacity, either for the Order or for the Church, nor are they any kind of guarantee that what I say is without error.

What I share on this blog and elsewhere is my personal take on all this stuff. If any of it is right or true, it's only because I happen to be correctly representing the truth; if any of it is not, it's because I am imperfect and only see the truth dimly. All I can guarantee is that I do my best to represent what is good and right and true, and hopefully my being a lay Dominican helps me to do that more often than not.

In SPND,

Mr. Ambrose Little, O.P.

(Br. Albertus Magnus, in the Order)

P.S. If you're interested in learning more about being a lay Dominican, check out our province's Web site.