I haven't gotten ashes on Ash Wednesday for many years. My lack of faith bothers me. My feeling of exclusion from my church pisses me off. This is probably difficult to understand but I struggle with getting ashes and going to church in general. I'm catholic and while the church tends to condemn me, I still feel catholic. If you also consider yourself catholic, do you get ashes? Thanks for any responses.
I don't get ashes but I refrain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday, and I always give something up for Lent. It's not really a religious choice though, I just do that as I like the challenge. I would still consider myself Catholic though.
I feel I can no longer say I am catholic because I so strongly disagree with so many of their beliefs but for some odd reason I do miss the ash Wednesday tradition
Thanks for all of the responses. I've decided that instead of giving up something, I should do something. Any suggestions???? Thanks again everyone.
I was raised Catholic but even before I came out I didn't like some of their beliefs and "interpretations" of the bible and whatnot so I no longer consider myself Catholic but I do believe in God. I haven't done the Ash Wednesday thing in years. It's a bit complicated in my family to do anything religious because although I was raised Catholic my grandma is Greek Orthodox which is a bit different. So we do Easter and Greek Easter. I'm not even sure all the differences between them. I just stay kind of neutral to keep myself less confused lol.
I'm Catholic and when I can, I try to get my ashes. Lol and I'm like a monk during lent. About not feeling Catholic you might want to check out: gay Catholics | DignityUSA It helped me out a lot, even if I'm gay I think I'm Catholic. I commune and plan to continue communing even after I get a boyfriend. Maybe for Lent you could try being extra kind, letting things slide more and stuff. And for the spirituality maybe you can light a candle and say a decade or something. Does this help?
Yes, it does help. I just downloaded the 3 minute retreat app. I'll add that to my list for lent. Maybe not everyday as I don't believe in forcing things if I'm not in the right mindset. The app is pretty good.
The last time I got ashes was when I was in high school and we were forced to go to church and get them as a class. After that I became a lapsed Catholic and eventually an ex-Catholic, so I didn't get them today.
That's the thing about rituals, symbolic physical gestures that speak directly to something deep inside of us and hint at an inner world that we crave but have lost the way to. It's not religion per se, but the institutions of religion that have caused so much of this...
I used to every year, I havent in like 3 years. I avoid the Catholic church now, they are filled with hypocrites and judgmental bigots. Wasnt Ash Wednesday in February anyway?
+1 :eusa_clap Though I'm baptized Catholic, I'm a complete atheist now, and the idea of ashes, Ash Wednesday, or any of that stuff gives me the willies .
