Ash Wednesday and Lent: Are they Biblical?

Both Ash Wednesday and Lent are based on biblical practices.

• Ashes in the Bible •

"O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes." (Jeremiah 6:26)

"I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes." (Daniel 9:3)

"When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes." (Jonah 3:6)

"And all the Israelite men, women and children who lived in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple building, with ashes strewn on their heads, displaying their sackcloth covering before the Lord." (Judith 4:11; see also 4:15 and 9:1)

"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)

Jesus refers to the use of sackcloth and ashes as signs of repentance: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes." (Matthew 11:21, Luke 10:13)

• Ash Wednesday •

As the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday calls us to the conversion journey that marks the season.

As those preparing to join the Church enter the final stage of their preparation for the Easter sacraments, we are all called to walk with them so that we will be prepared to renew our baptismal promises when Easter arrives.

When we receive ashes on our foreheads, we remember:

• Who we are

• That we are creatures of the earth

. "Remember that you are dust"

• That we are mortal beings

. "and to dust you will return"

• That we are baptized

• That we are people on a journey of conversion

. "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel"

• That we are members of the body of Christ

• That smudge on our foreheads will proclaim that identity to others, too

http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0...

• Lent •

The Catholic Church and many other Christians Churches follow the Biblical practice of Jesus Christ and the Jews in setting aside days where the entire Church fasts and prays as one in a attitude of constant renewal.

By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert and in spiritual preparation for the celebration of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

This season of penance is an intense moment of the Church's penitential practice and are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and charitable and missionary works.

The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches also observe the season of Lent. Many modern Protestant Churches consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1438:

http://www.nccbuscc.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chp...

For Lenten resources, see:

• http://www.usccb.org/lent/

• http://americancatholic.org/Features/Lent/default....

• http://americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0205....

With love in Christ.

I think you have that turned around there. Trinity is Biblical, Sola Scriptura very Biblical and yes Satan was in the garden Biblical. Ash Wednesday and Lent are traditional and not Biblical. That does not make them wrong just not commanded by God.

There are no scriptures that say we have to follow those events. Catholics do that to remember Christ and His suffering. I'm not saying it's wrong to do so but neither is it wrong to not participate. the word trinity is not in the Bible, but there are references to the "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" in the Bible. And Satan in the Garden of Eden is absolutley in the Bible. It's in the beginning of Genesis.

Some Protestants follow Ash Wednesday and Lent, such as Lutherans. It all depends on your point of view.

Im not a catholic but I believe not all Catholics are as bad as you mentioned, the truth of the ash mark on the forehead is a medieval custom when superstitious clergy and other people would draw a cross of ash on their foreheads in certain days for protection from evil. I think in the Easter catholics are supposed not to eat meat but most catholics I know do.

It is not biblical to do ash Wednesday. It is done only by Catholics (as far as I know) and it is not scriptural and completely backwards to the teachings of Jesus (regardless of what they tell you). Lets see what the bible has to say about it.

Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Hope that helps.

Why does it matter?

I fail to see what is so bloody hard about remembering Christ's life, teachings, and sacrifice. If people just did that, there would be a lot less room for arguing over what ceremonies one does and how they are done.

I think when Christians say it's not Biblical, they mean Jesus never commanded Christians to do that (as compared with something like communion, which Jesus specifically said to do).

well they were listed in the Original KJV 1611

Lent

Septuagesima Sunday

http://dewey.library.upenn.edu/sceti/printedbooksN...

I guess you answered your own question, which is "yes"

and fundies can gnash their teeth.