This is my brief reflection for an Ash Wednesday service at which I presided earlier today. Today's readings are here.
“Even now, return to me with your whole heart”. That’s the prophet Joel in today’s first reading, speaking to us across 2,500 years of human history with a message that is still fresh and urgent. “Return to me”. That’s not quite the same as, “Turn to me for the first time”. What God is asking for from us is not a “first-ever turn”, it’s a “Re-turn”. We’ve been there before; we’ve been closer to God in the past than we are now. So now, God invites us: Come back! Please come back – things can be the way they used to be – or even better. No matter what we’ve done, his door is open, and his light is streaming into our outer darkness. He is ready to forgive us. Please come back! God is standing in the doorway, beckoning to us, with pleading in his eyes. Return to me!
And now is the time! “Even now, return to me with your whole heart”. Don’t wait until tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late. This day, Ash Wednesday, is the very day to begin our journey of return.
In a few moments, we’ll be crossing your foreheads with ashes. The ashes are meant to be an outward sign of our inner reality. The ashes stand for repentance. That's the outward sign. We’re invited to dig deep and locate the inner reality that corresponds with the ashes: that, deep in our hearts, we are sorry that we have disappointed God, that we have failed him in some way. We are sorry that we have sinned against others and against him. The ashes on this day are a way of bringing this regretful inner truth to the surface. For today, and during this season of Lent, let us focus on our inner reality. All of us have mixed hearts: there is goodness in our hearts, but there is sinfulness, too. Let today be a day to begin purifying our hearts. Let the ashes be a sign of our resolve to open our hearts and let God do his purifying, saving work there.
Catholics go to church on Ash Wednesday in record numbers equaling and even in some cases exceeding those of Christmas and Easter. A large part of that is likely the sacramental nature of these services; they are signs of being Catholic. The Papacy is part of that; the world’s attention also focuses upon the rituals that attend it: funeral of a Pope, the election and inauguration of the New Pope.
ReplyDeleteBeyond the 22% of Americans who say Catholicism is their religion, there are many people who identify as “Catholics” because they were once Catholic, or they have relatives and friends who are Catholic, or they see their ethnic identity as being Catholic. In fact, PEW has studied this and estimates that 29% of people in the US identify as being Catholic in this broader way, i.e. while they do not check the Catholic identity box when asked their religion, they do admit that Catholicism has had an impact on their lives in this broader sense.
PEW has also studied the observances of those who say they are Catholic. Half of them pray daily, only 22% say they seldom or every pray. However, only 28% of Catholics attend Mass weekly; forty percent seldom or ever attend. Only 23 % of Catholics go to confession at least annually; forty-seven percent never go to confession.
Only 13% of American Catholics do all three of the above observances. However, at the other end of the spectrum only 13% of American Catholics do NOT do all three observances.
The largest share of Catholics (74%) falls somewhere in the middle of this spectrum of observance. They may pray. They may attend Mass. They may go to confession. But they don’t regularly do all three (pray daily, attend Mass weekly and go to confession annually).
If one looks at the characteristics of those who go to Mass weekly versus those who do not go to Mass weekly, the key difference is the important of the parish in their lives.
For all those who say their religion is Catholicism the following are essential; only 30% of these say that being a part of parish is essential.
Personal Relationship to Christ 69%
Devotion to Virgin Mary 50%
Working to help poor and needy 47%
Receiving the Eucharist 46%
Getting married in the Church 40%
For those who go to Mass weekly, however the following are
ESSENTIALS OF CATHOLIC IDENTITY %
Personal Relationship to Christ 91%
Receiving the Eucharist 83%
Getting married in the Church 70%
Devotion to Virgin Mary 69%
Being part of a parish 67%
Working to help poor and needy 65%
Apostolic Tradition 61%
Opposing abortion 59%
Leadership of Pope 52%
Care of environment 41%
Ethnic festivals 41%
The PEW research affirms that Catholicism is really a big tent religion in the minds of Americans. There are many Americans who affirm they are Catholic even though they do not go Mass weekly. Most of them pray daily, two-thirds of them say that a personal relationship to Christ is essential, half of them have a devotion to Mary, more than forty percent say that working for the poor and needy, receiving the Eucharist and marrying in the Church are essential. These people show up at Christmas, Easter, Ash Wednesday, but only 30% of them show up regularly for Mass on weekends.
Beyond these 22% of American adults who say are Catholic, another 27% say they have an affinity for Catholicism because they are former Catholics or are married to Catholics or have a Catholic ethic identity. In other words, Catholicism has a cultural impact far beyond those who regularly come to Mass on Sunday.
So, when Catholics flock to church for ashes, they are likely renewing their identity with Catholicism, that they have a personal relationship with Christ, that receiving the Eucharist several times a year is essential. However, most of them do not think that parish participation and weekly worship are essential.
DeleteIf Leo plays well as an American pope, he might increase the tendency of many who now identify as Catholics to affirm their Catholic identity on ritual occasions such as Ash Wednesday, and perhaps even to bring along those who identify as "cultural Catholics" e.g. family members. However, whether this will have much of an impact on getting any of these to regular weekend parish worship may be doubtful. Having an identity with a local congregation is more an American Protestant ideal than a Catholic one. You do not have to be a member of a parish in order to be Catholic.
Jack, could you define what “ have a personal relationship with Christ ” actually means? I hear Protestants say this (usually they say Jesus, not Christ). I have seldom heard Catholics say this. I have no idea what a “personal” relationship with a spiritual being (Christ) or a human who died 2000 years ago (Jesus)
Deleteinvolves - definitely not tea and conversation - no hanging out together as we do with people.
I am not an active Catholic, but Catholicism “formed” me, provided the framework through which I view the world, events, morality. So maybe that makes me a cultural Catholic, but I am also a “cultural Episcopalian” because I share much more of their theological understandings and ecclesial rules than Catholic. I never joined up though.once I decided I could no longer be an active Catholic I decided to remain a free agent theologically. Anglicanism is familiar to me -same creed, much smaller catechism, similar liturgies, all the same sacraments, but none are withheld due to one’s sex. Many Catholics disrespect the Episcopal church/Anglicanism, calling them “Catholic lite”. I see them differently - I see them as being more humble than Catholicism, more willing to be open to the Spirit leading them to new understandings. Inviting all who follow Christ to the table as Jesus did - no official Catholic country club membership required. Understanding that “ Real Presence” doesn’t mean literally eating human flesh and drinking human blood, hidden in a different appearance, but still eating human flesh according to the theology. The Catholic hierarchy has an unbecoming arrogance - the “ontological” superiority belief in the priesthood,. They co-opt authority and power belonging only to God - giving “absolution” for sins, and indulgences to buy off time in “purgatory”. The church teaches that I am Catholic forever because of my baptism as an infant - which I did not choose. So - where do I fit in the Pew study?
"You do not have to be a member of a parish in order to be Catholic." But it helps.
DeleteI don't know what the customs were in Europe about parish membership, but where grew up you would have had to drive about 30 miles to go to another parish. You'd still have to go that far, but you'd still get the same priest. They're all clusters of missions to each other now.
I understand in the past, in cities where there were multiple parishes, they were starchy about parish lines (but pretty sure they'd cash your donation check even if you were from "outside.")
In the town where we live now it is more populated and more heavily Catholic than western Nebraska. But we are in a family of parishes, since about 4 years ago, and are encouraged to be somewhat fluid about it. People still are registered at a particular parish, for Baptismal records and marriages especially. We always attend St. Anthony's, but help out at St. Stanislaus (my husband as deacon, and myself as choir member sometimes). St. Bonaventure's is part of the family, but they're big, and "old money".
So - where do I fit in the Pew study?
DeleteThe first question you would encounter would be the question about your current religious identity. You could of course call yourself Catholic since you were baptized Catholic and might have come chosen that if the US had responded more positively to Francis, and you may call yourself Catholic again if the bishops and parishes respond positively to Leo continuing Francis's policies sufficiently so that you find a Catholic parish.
My sense is that like most Americans you define your religion on the basis of what parish or congregation you go to. In that case you would likely classify yourself as a None. While the survey asks about church attendance, it does not have any questions about parish or congregation membership.
You might according to your beliefs classify yourself as Episcopal even though your do not currently go to one of their parishes.
After you got past the first question you would encounter the questions about cultural, former, and family Catholics. If you answered None to your current religious affiliations, these questions would likely classify you as a former Catholic rather than a cultural or family Catholic. (you cannot be in more than one category). My sense is that if someone answers that they were baptized Catholic they are likely be classified as a former Catholic.
If someone like Jean who I think was baptized as a non-Catholic answered None to the religion question, depending upon how she answered subsequent questions (e.g. that she was not baptized as Catholic) she might have ended up in the "family" Catholic category because of her relationship to Raber.
Of course, Jean like yourself has possibilities other than None for her religious identification. Some people answer simply Christian or Protestant if they do not identify with a specific denomination, e.g. belong to a non-denominational community congregation.
It complicated but my sense is that they are doing a good job.
"Catholics go to church on Ash Wednesday in record numbers equaling and even in some cases exceeding those of Christmas and Easter. A large part of that is likely the sacramental nature of these services; they are signs of being Catholic."
DeleteThose are interesting statistics and insights into Catholic identity. I think you are right, that receiving ashes is a way to identify as being affiliated with the Catholic church in some way.
I also speculate that the meaning of the ashes goes beyond identity - there is a spiritual dimension to the ashes that resonates with us, even if it's always easy to articulate what it is.
Or being Episcopalian. Maybe Lutherans too?
DeleteYears ago a well known Catholic priest and speaker noted that the churches are much more full on Ash Wednesday than on Sundays. He commented that Catholics go to church when they are “ getting something”. But “ getting” communion doesn’t have the same lure. I have thought about this for years, and am still puzzled.
Around here Jewish neighbors become members of local synagogues formally, and pay dues. But they can’t handle the crowds of non- active Jews who show up on Rosh Hashanah and even more on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. They rent the gyms at schools for Yom Kippur and hold their day- long repentance services in them to accommodate all the Jews who don’t have a congregation — but want to repent and pray with community.
Ramadan is starting too - an entire month of fasting, prayers and repentance. I worked with Muslims several times in my career. Since it’s a moving holy- day(s), the summer months were hardest since no food or water can be consumed between sunrise and sundown. All of my Muslim colleagues observed the fast.
There seems to be some inner drive for most people, of all religions, to observe holy days and rituals focused on repentance.
Nothing happy/clappy about Ash Wednesday. Interesting that it’s so popular. I like Ash Wednesday very much. There’s a quiet about it and throughout Lent for me. Regarding world and national events, it is a time of sadness and Lent seems suitable. Unfortunately, I was fighting a virus yesterday and too lethargic to participate.
DeleteMy choir sang at our Ash Wednesday Mass last night. It was a full church, but not as much as last year; we didn't have to put folding chairs in the aisles. They added a Spanish language Ash Wednesday Mass in one of the parishes in our "family", and I think quite a few people went to that.
ReplyDeleteOur Nigerian priest was the celebrant, and homilized on a theme similar to Jim's, on returning to the Lord. He spoke of making a U- turn in our relationship, if that was needed.
He also made an anguished request for prayers, he comes from the northern part of Nigeria and had received word that day from friends and relatives there of increased violence against Christians, such that many of them had fled.
The deacons and also took ashes to the nursing homes and hospital. K said it was more for the staff at the hospital, not many patients requested ashes.
DeleteKatherine, Some of the Episcopalian priests around here distribute ashes in public places - often at metro stops and busy intersections.They get a lot of takers. Does the RCC allow that?
Delete"The deacons and also took ashes to the nursing homes and hospital. K said it was more for the staff at the hospital, not many patients requested ashes."
DeleteThere was an article in our local suburban newspaper today about a parish in a nearby suburb who set up a "drive-through" Ashes distribution yesterday in an industrial park in their town. But I think that sort of thing is pretty unusual.
When I worked in downtown Chicago ("the Loop"), a Franciscan parish, St.Peter's, had friars standing on the parish steps, providing ashes to any pedestrian who want them.
There is a school of thought (or at least the thought occurs to me) that if we make it really easy and convenient for people to get ashes, then few people would bother coming to the parish for a mass or an ashes service. I'd like to think there is spiritual and practical value to the services. Among the spiritual values might be that the reception of the word of God, the preaching, the music et al might induce the undertaking of of the season's spiritual renewal. One of the practical values being that it may entice unaffiliated people to become more attached to the church, e.g. by coming to mass more often.
"Our Nigerian priest was the celebrant, and homilized on a theme similar to Jim's, on returning to the Lord."
DeleteAfter the service at which I preached yesterday, I re-read a few reflections I had given at ashes services at previous years. They're all different, but they cover a lot of the same thematic material. I don't know if that's good or bad. I have noticed previously, when looking back on homilies I had given a number of years ago, that a lot of the same themes pop up as in my more recent homilies. Maybe I can take some comfort that the same apparently was true about Jesus - he hit the same ideas more than once, too.
I don't know if there is any hard and fast rule about it, but the consensus here seems to be that they would take ashes to people who would not be able to get to a church service, such as nursing home residents (or hospital staff because of work schedules) but other people who were able should come to church to get ashes, because as Jim said, there is spiritual value in doing so. It should be noted that there is no requirement to be "in good standing" or even to be Catholic, to get ashes.
DeletePope Leo—
ReplyDelete“ We perceive in the ashes imposed on us the weight of a world that is ablaze, of entire cities destroyed by war,” he said.
“This is also reflected in the ashes of international law and justice among peoples, the ashes of entire ecosystems and harmony among peoples, the ashes of critical thinking and ancient local wisdom, the ashes of that sense of the sacred that dwells in every creature,” Pope Leo added.”
FWIW, at the service I served at yesterday, we had somewhere between 500 and 600 people. That is a lot for our parish; our largest Sunday masses rarely draw more than 400 people. Yesterday's service was at 4:30 pm, which is convenient for people commuting home from work, including parents picking up their children from after-school care and daycare. When we were in the thick of parenting, we used to do the same and attend that service, too. That said, I didn't think we had an overabundance of kids yesterday. Some infants and toddlers, and some teens. Not a lot of in-between-age kids.
ReplyDeletePersonal Relationship to Christ 91%
ReplyDeleteReceiving the Eucharist 83%
Being part of a parish 67%
A "personal relationship to Christ" is verbiage from Protestantism that stems from the notion that a priestly mediator is not needed between Jesus and the laity. My belief even now is that you become one with Christ thru Communion. So why a "personal relationship with Christ" and the Eucharist are separate things in the minds of some Catholics puzzles me.
Anyway, the two Church observances I miss most as an Anglican or Catholic are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. I think it is salubrious to be reminded of our mortality and of the collective human sins that nailed Jesus to the cross. Time is short for us all given the messes that need to be cleaned up.
And yet I recall one of the major themes of Benedict XVI was that Catholicism is about having a friendship with Jesus Christ.
Delete"If someone like Jean who I think was baptized as a non-Catholic answered None to the religion question, depending upon how she answered subsequent questions (e.g. that she was not baptized as Catholic) she might have ended up in the 'family' Catholic category because of her relationship to Raber."
ReplyDeleteHmm. I may be off-base, but the Pew study comments and your analysis sounds like you are making distinctions about "how Catholic" someone is, as if there are degrees of Catholicity.
It's my understanding that, in the eyes of the Church, once you are received as a convert, you are a Catholic. Period. Forever.
Unless you are excommunicated, you can't weasel out of your Catholic obligations unless you were lying or didn't truly believe what you promised at RCIA, in which case the whole thing was null and void to begin with.
"In the eyes of the Church" is a key phrase here. If the Catholic Church is not what it understands itself and claims itself to be, then in reality membership is no more permanent than in any other human organization. If Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders do not leave permanent "marks" on the soul, then they do no more than any other rituals of membership.
DeleteA Google search yielded the following: "According to Catholic theology, a priest who goes to hell will have the indelible mark (sacramental character) on his soul, and this mark will make him recognizable, acting as a source of eternal shame and degradation." That sounds a lot like a pre-Vatican II understanding to me, but I don't know if it would still be defended today.