Ash Wednesday’s around the corner, and you can go all over the internet to find out How To Do Lent Exactly Right. Not my territory. We’re much more beginner than that around here. To which end, I want to put to rest the four biggest Ash Wednesday fears that seem to come up every year.
1. Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation. You, the ordinary lay Catholic pew-sitter, don’t have to go to Mass. You do not. Do not. Now I think you oughta go to Mass any chance you get, though in most cases not more than once a day. But the Church in her wisdom has decided this is not a requirement, so don’t scruple. (Go if you can, though. It really is wonderful. And good for you.)
2. When you fast, eat enough to maintain your strength. If you are going to be in meetings all day, make sure you eat enough that you don’t say something really stupid that gets you fired, or costs the company the big sale. No passing out on the side of the road. No dropping bricks on your feet. The rate of ER admissions should not increase on Ash Wednesday.
If you aren’t in the habit of fasting (not many people are), you’ll have to guess how much food that adds up to. Ash Wednesday is not a caloric how-much-bread-and-water-in-the-jar game, in which the person who gets closest to the exact number of truly-necessary calories without going over gets dibs on the heavenly mansions. Just give it your sincere best effort, however bumbly that turns out to be.
3. Anyone can receive ashes. Here’s a longer, more detailed answer from EWTN. Short version: Even if you aren’t eligible to receive Holy Communion — say you’re a non-Catholic, bigamous, heretical three-year-old — really, yes, you can go get ashes.
Of course, the ashes are a sign of repentance, so everyone will take it to mean you plan to straighten up and fly right from now on. But seriously. Don’t be afraid. Go. If you’ve been meaning to return to the Church, or maybe even convert, this is as good a day as any to make your start. (Any other day works, too — no need to put it off till Wednesday.) No matter how impossible it seems, God really does love you. You are wanted. Then take a few minutes after Mass to introduce yourself to the priest, and find out what’s the next thing you need to do in order to get a little bit closer to being able to receive Holy Communion.
4. We’re all still using the cheat sheets. If you haven’t been to Mass in fifteen years, and you’re pretty sure you’ll stand out as the One Person Who Doesn’t Know What to Say or Do, fear not! Print yourself off one of these pew cards, crumple it up so it looks like you’ve been using it every Sunday since Advent 2011, and you’ll totally blend in with the Old Faithful Forgetful crowd. If you forget to stand up or sit down or kneel at the right time, just pretend you were lost in prayer or something.
See how easy that was? Ash Wednesday. Don’t let is scare you. Meanwhile, for a beautiful downloadable guide to all things Lent, Holy Week, & Easter, check out what Fr. Christopher Smith has put together. It’s my new favorite. I wish I had a color printer so I could get the maximum shiny, but it comes off fairly well in black & white.
Happy Lent!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In