You are a priest forever like Melchizedek

You are a priest forever like Melchizedek

  09:43    Catholic Channels

---

The newly ordained Priest:
From left to right:
Today 2nd December 2017 at 10:00am.

Fr Joseph Lule Mainga,Fr Geoffrey Ojandu,Fr Andrew Khisa Werunga and Fr Christopher Mutisya Gabriel are been ordained to the holy order of Priesthood.

Read More

The history and Facts about blessed virgin Mary's birth

The history and Facts about blessed virgin Mary's birth

  23:00    Catholic Channels

---

   

We do not usually celebrate the birthdays of the saints. Instead we celebrate the day they died, because that is the day they were born into the joys of heaven. But the birthday of Mary, our Blessed Mother, is an exception.
We do celebrate her birthday because she came into this world full of grace and because she was to be the Mother of Jesus. The birth of Our Lady was like a dawn.
When the sky starts to turn a rosy pink early in the morning, we know the sun will soon come up. In the same way, when Mary was born, she brought great happiness to the world.
 Her birth meant that soon Jesus, the Sun of justice, would appear. Mary was the wonderful human being whose privilege it was to bring the Lord Jesus to all people.
Even today, if we have Mary, we have Jesus. Whoever is very devoted to her is very close to the heart of Jesus.
We can make Mary's birthday special by whispering a Hail Mary often throughout the day.

Read More

Daily Mass Reading for Friday 8th September, 2017

Daily Mass Reading for Friday 8th September, 2017

  22:47    Catholic Channels

---

First Reading, Micah 5:1-4

¹ But you (Bethlehem) Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, from you will come for me a future ruler of Israel whose origins go back to the distant past, to the days of old.

² Hence Yahweh will abandon them only until she who is in labour gives birth, and then those who survive of his race will be reunited to the Israelites.

³ He will take his stand and he will shepherd them with the power of Yahweh, with the majesty of the name of his God, and they will be secure, for his greatness will extend henceforth to the most distant parts of the country.

⁴ He himself will be peace! Should the Assyrian invade our country, should he set foot in our land, we shall raise seven shepherds against him, eight leaders of men

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 13:6, 6

⁶ But I trust in your mercy, Grant my heart joy in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt bountifully with me!

Gospel, Matthew 1: 1-16, 18-23

¹ Roll of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:

² Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers,

³ Judah fathered Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram,

⁴ Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon,

⁵ Salmon fathered Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse;

⁶ and Jesse fathered King David. David fathered Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife,

⁷ Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, Abijah fathered Asa,

⁸ Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, Joram fathered Uzziah,

⁹ Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, Ahaz fathered Hezekiah,

¹⁰ Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, Amon fathered Josiah;

¹¹ and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers. Then the deportation to Babylon took place.

¹² After the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah fathered Shealtiel, Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel,

¹³ Zerubbabel fathered Abiud, Abiud fathered Eliakim, Eliakim fathered Azor,

¹⁴ Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, Achim fathered Eliud,

¹⁵ Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleaser fathered Matthan, Matthan fathered Jacob;

¹⁶ and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

¹⁸ This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

¹⁹ Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally.

²⁰ He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.

²¹ She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.'

²² Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:

²³ Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us'

Read More

Sacred Art and the Spiritual Life

Sacred Art and the Spiritual Life

  23:58    Catholic Channels

---

At his Bad Catholic blog, Marc Barnes recently commented on the self-indulgence and counter-productivity of Antifa’s methods of confronting white nationalists: “If justice is ‘fun,’ you’re probably not practicing justice. If works of justice fulfill elemental passions within you, then your works of justice probably don’t proceed according to reason and universal politics.” In another insightful piece, Barnes comments on the difference between identity groups and true communities, and why the State encourages the former and discourages the latter.
In the UK’s Spectator, a young Catholic from Scotland reflects on her first year attending NYU, in which she had to navigate the bizarre world of postmodernism and political correctness (for example, she was nicknamed “cultural fascist” because of her view that some art is objectively good and other art is objectively bad). I was tickled by her reference to the disused convent in Hell’s Kitchen which became her haven for discussing campus-banned topics: I know exactly the place she’s talking about.
When you see a title like The Mental Disorders That Gave Us Modern Architecture, you can’t not click. My question is, if Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe can’t be entirely blamed for the ugliness they created, why did everyone else go along with it?
By contrast, it’s always good to return to Michael O’Brien’s letter to writers and artists, which contains valuable counsel for the young on how to pursue an artistic vocation in the spirit of Christ, not of the world, in the spirit of poverty and humility.
And for those in the NYC area, this fall, the Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer is offering a parish study led by Fr. Innocent Smith, O.P.: The Arts as Paths to God: Secular and Sacred Art and the Spiritual Life.

Read More

Swiss Guard says that his unit is prepared for a terrorist attack on the Vatican

Swiss Guard says that his unit is prepared for a terrorist attack on the Vatican

  08:34    Catholic Channels

---

The head of the Swiss Guard says that his unit is prepared for a terrorist attack on the Vatican.

“Perhaps it is only a question of time before an attack of this kind happens in Rome,” said Commander Christoph Graft, reacting to recent terrorist attacks in Spain. He said that the Vatican is prepared to respond to an attack.

Islamic extremists have frequently mentioned the Vatican as a potential target
Reference: (ANSA) 24 August 2017

Read More

US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS FOUND A STOLEN LETTER

US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS FOUND A STOLEN LETTER

  07:41    Catholic Channels

---

The US Department of Homeland Security has located a letter by Christopher Columbus that was stolen from the Vatican library.

The letter, in which Columbus provided his patrons with an account of his discovery of the Americas, was found in the collection of a man who did not know it was stolen. The owner has agreed to return the letter to the Vatican library.

A Wall Street Journal account of the discovery reports that a forged version of the same letter has been on display in the Vatican library while the original was lost.

References:(Wall Street Journal )

Read More

The suffering Chinese Catholics

The suffering Chinese Catholics

  14:04    Catholic Channels

---

The pressure and violence of the civil authorities control and suffocate the official Church. Underground Catholics wonder whether the Holy See has married the government's thesis, to eliminate them. The "unrealistic" hope in an agreement between China and the Holy See. The appeal of a PIME missionary, a great expert on China.


Hong Kong (AsiaNews / HSSC) - Some conversations I had during my last visit to the mainland upset me and gave me pause. I fully realized the worries that trouble the heart of so many brothers and sisters—whether clandestine or attending the open churches—who truly want to be loyal to their faith and to the Catholic Church.

First of all, they are deeply aggrieved by the cunning pressure of civil authorities and the people who collaborate with them. Through enticements, as well as oppression, and even violence, the authorities try every means to control and to choke the official section of the

Church; on the other hand, the authorities try to eliminate the unofficial Church through mandatory control and registration of its members.

In their daily life, these brothers and sisters have to deal with opportunists and two-faced people who lie to them, or give them the runaround.

In their work, they have to suffer from undue interference and abuses of corrupt local authorities. Within the Church, these brothers and sisters frequently feel quite confused in their interactions with bishops and clergy. There are bishops who are recognized by the Holy See, but who also take up posts in the Patriotic Association which publicly proclaims “principles

incompatible with Catholic doctrine.” Then there are bishops who take part in illegitimate episcopal ordinations, and who concelebrate with ex

communicated bishops. There are priests who proclaim themselves bishops. And there are priests who are ordained by illegitimate bishops,

etc. Consequently, many ask, “Who is our true shepherd?” and “Can we receive sacraments from them?” or “Do they still belong to the Catholic Church?”

Observing the behaviour of the Holy See, some brothers and sisters are shaking their heads too; they feel doubtful and suspicious. Some unofficial priests even asked me if Rome had accepted the government policy to eliminate the underground Church; or whether it is still necessary to refuse to join the Patriotic Association. Mistrust is rather widespread.

These our brothers and sisters are suffering, sad, confused and apprehensive. Some of them put their hope on the eventual agreement between China and the Vatican, believing perhaps unrealistically that that will bring an end to all their worries and sufferings. Others close themselves off in their small community, and rely on the clergy to provide them a secure basis for their faith.

Yet, the Holy Spirit continues to work in them and strengthen their faith. It is deeply touching to see these brothers and sisters live the Christian faith in simple yet extraordinary ways.

Only their sincere faith guarantees the perseverance of the life of the Church in the country.

We must show our full solidarity with them through prayer and support.

Read More

Angola’s bishops have call for peaceful elections that will determine dos Santos’ successor

Angola’s bishops have call for peaceful elections that will determine dos Santos’ successor

  13:58    Catholic Channels

---

Angolans voted on Wednesday in an election marking the end of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos’s 38-year reign.
About 9.3 million registered voters were called to the polls to elect the National Assembly of 220 members; the winning party will elect the President. The MPLA (People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola) has designated his successor, Joao Lourenco, a party loyalist who served as defence minister.
On the eve of the vote, the Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Sao Tomé (CEAST) reiterated their appeal to competing parties and citizens, for the elections to take place peacefully in order to reflect the political and democratic maturity of Angolan people.
And indeed no major accidents were registered.
His Exc. Mgr. António Francisco Jaca, Bishop of Caxito and Secretary General of CEAST, had asked Angolan people to continue to live in peace and to ensure that "the elections become a feast of democracy".
Mgr. Jaka urged "to grow as a Country, showing democratic maturity and demonstrating that we can move on". "We can walk together as Angolan brothers without resorting to violence, voting", he concluded.

Read More

FACTS ABOUT S.T LOUIS

FACTS ABOUT S.T LOUIS

  23:26    Catholic Channels

---

St. Louis, King of France, patron of Tertiaries, was the ninth of his name. He was born at Poissy, France, in 1214. His father was Louis VIII, and his mother was Blanche, daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castille, surnamed the Conqueror. At the age of twelve he lost his father, and his mother became regent of the kingdom. From his tenderest infancy she had inspired him with a love for holy things.

In 1234, he married Margaret, the virtuous daughter of Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, and two years later he took the reigns of government into his own hands. In 1238, he headed a crusade, in which he fell a prisoner among the Mohammedans, but a truce was concluded and he was set free and he returned to France. In 1267, he again set out for the East at the head of a crusade but he never again beheld his native land. In 1270, he was stricken by the pestilence at the siege of Tunis, and after receiving the Last Sacraments, he died. His feast day is August 25th.

Read More

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) offered policy recommendations to assist Iraq’s beleaguered Christians

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) offered policy recommendations to assist Iraq’s beleaguered Christians

  08:12    Catholic Channels

---

 Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) offered policy recommendations to assist Iraq’s beleaguered Christians.

“There is an ever-increasing concern that many of the ethnic and religious minority communities will be unable to return home due to the destruction, and the growing political tensions between the central government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government and other non-state actors,” he said, adding:

If something bold is not done by the United States and the international community, I believe we will see the end of Christianity in the cradle of Christendom and a loss of religious and ethnic diversity throughout the region which could result in further destabilization across the Middle East and present a threat to US national security interests.

References:21wilberforce

Read More

Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu, Uganda has Blasts Advocates Of Female Priests

Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu, Uganda has Blasts Advocates Of Female Priests

  20:39    Catholic Channels

---

Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu, Uganda has called for an end to the drive for the ordination of female Catholic priests, saying that advocates are “bringing a lot of tension into the Church.”

“There should be no more debate over the subject of females aspiring to be priests,” the archbishop said. He remarked that he had come to see the campaign for women’s ordination as “a major challenge facing the Catholic Church.”

”Jesus Christ was a man,” Archbishop Odama said. “If Christ wanted female priests, He would have ordained his mother, Mary, first; but He did not do that.”

References: blackstarnews

Read More

Daily Reading for Thursday,August 24th, 2017

Daily Reading for Thursday,August 24th, 2017

  18:11    Catholic Channels

---

Daily Reading for Thursday, August 24th, 2017
Catholicchannels.blogspot.com

First reading, Revelation 21:9-14
9 One of the seven angels that had the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came to speak to me and said, 'Come here and I will show you the bride that the Lamb has married.'

10 In the spirit, he carried me to the top of a very high mountain, and showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down out of heaven from God.

11 It had all the glory of God and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond.

12 Its wall was of a great height and had twelve gates; at each of the twelve gates there was an angel, and over the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel;

13 on the east there were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.

14 The city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each one of which bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
10 All your creatures shall thank you, Yahweh, and your faithful shall bless you.

11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingship and tell of your might,

12 making known your mighty deeds to the children of Adam, the glory and majesty of your kingship.

13 Your kingship is a kingship for ever, your reign lasts from age to age. Yahweh is trustworthy in all his words, and upright in all his deeds.

17 Upright in all that he does, Yahweh acts only in faithful love.

18 He is close to all who call upon him, all who call on him from the heart.

Gospel reading, John 1:45-51
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.'

46 Nathanael said to him, 'From Nazareth? Can anything good come from that place?' Philip replied, 'Come and see.'

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, 'There, truly, is an Israelite in whom there is no deception.'

48 Nathanael asked, 'How do you know me?' Jesus replied, 'Before Philip came to call you, I saw you under the fig tree.'

49 Nathanael answered, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel.'

50 Jesus replied, 'You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You are going to see greater things than that.'

51 And then he added, 'In all truth I tell you, you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of man.'

Read More

English bishops strongly welcome Lord Farmer’s report

English bishops strongly welcome Lord Farmer’s report

  14:30    Catholic Channels

---

The English bishops’ lead bishop for prisons welcomed the publication of a government report on the importance of prisoners’ families.

“I strongly welcome Lord Farmer’s report, which highlights clearly the central role that families can play in helping prisoners to turn their lives around and making our society safer,” said Bishop Richard Moth.

Read More

digitalization of the economy on employment, and chosen migration

digitalization of the economy on employment, and chosen migration

  07:20    Catholic Channels

---

As Estonia assumed a six-month presidency over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Estonia’s sole Catholic bishop and a leading official of the EU bishops’ commission met on August 18 with the Baltic nation’s prime minister.

Bishop Philippe Jourdan and Brother Olivier Poquillon “expressed the concerns of Pope Francis for two of the most current topics, such as the effects of digitalization of the economy on employment, and chosen migration,” according to the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community.

The two also emphasized “the importance of investing in the youth in order to make it possible for the new European generations to become active citizens and grow culturally and professionally in their own country.”

Read More

West has ‘betrayed’ Christian minorities

West has ‘betrayed’ Christian minorities

  21:04    Catholic Channels

---

Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan of Antioch said that Western support for “moderate” Syrian rebel factions has caused the devastation of the country.

“I can tell you, we’ve been not only abandoned by the Western countries, but even we have been betrayed,” the Syrian prelate told the Southern Cross, the newspaper of the San Diego diocese. He charged that Western leaders have ignored the suffering of Christians, who are being driven from the country by the violence.

Patriarch Ignace dismissed the claim that the US and other countries are backing “moderate” Muslim forces in the Syrian conflict. No such forces exist, he said; “It’s a lie.”

Read More

Sunday Reading for, August 20th, 2017

Sunday Reading for, August 20th, 2017

  19:53    Catholic Channels

---

 Sunday  Reading for, August 20th, 2017
   
First Reading , Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
1 Thus says Yahweh: Make fair judgement your concern, act with justice, for soon my salvation will come and my saving justice be manifest.

6 As for foreigners who adhere to Yahweh to serve him, to love Yahweh's name and become his servants, all who observe the Sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant:

7 these I shall lead to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
2 Then the earth will acknowledge your ways, and all nations your power to save.

3 Let the nations praise you, God, let all the nations praise you.

5 Let the nations praise you, God, let all the nations praise you.

6 The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God has blessed us.


Gospel, Matthew 15:21-28
21 Jesus left that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

22 And suddenly out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, 'Lord, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.'

23 But he said not a word in answer to her. And his disciples went and pleaded with him, saying, 'Give her what she wants, because she keeps shouting after us.'

24 He said in reply, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.'

25 But the woman had come up and was bowing low before him. 'Lord,' she said, 'help me.'

26 He replied, 'It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to little dogs.'

27 She retorted, 'Ah yes, Lord; but even little dogs eat the scraps that fall from their masters' table.'

28 Then Jesus answered her, 'Woman, you have great faith. Let your desire be granted.' And from that moment her daughter was well again.

2nd Reading, Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
13 Let me say then to you gentiles that, as far as I am an apostle to the gentiles, I take pride in this work of service;

14 and I want it to be the means of rousing to envy the people who are my own blood-relations and so of saving some of them.

15 Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their re-acceptance will mean? Nothing less than life from the dead!

29 There is no change of mind on God's part about the gifts he has made or of his choice.

30 Just as you were in the past disobedient to God but now you have been shown mercy, through their disobedience;

31 so in the same way they are disobedient now, so that through the mercy shown to you they too will receive mercy.

32 God has imprisoned all human beings in their own disobedience only to show mercy to them all.

Read More

Master Daolu ordered to cease all further rescue work of women and children in Rugao.

Master Daolu ordered to cease all further rescue work of women and children in Rugao.

  15:30    Catholic Channels

---

The Chinese news outlet Global Times is reporting that a monk who saves babies from abortion and then brings them up has come into conflict with authorities.

Master Daolu, a former businessman turned monk, believes, like many Buddhists, that the baby has a soul fm conception, and that abortion is murder. However, he doesn’t just persuade women not to have abortions – he provides shelter and care for them and their babies.

Lifelong care
According to an earlier Global Times article, when he began his ministry, Master Daolu converted his own villa in Nantong, in East China’s Jiangsu Province into a foster home, hiring nannies and recruiting volunteers to care for abandoned babies. He offers women in crisis pregnancies – most of them in their twenties and unmarried -money, shelter, healthcare and help to raise their children. He promises to take care of the children until adulthood, and, he explains, mothers “chose me instead of a public foster home, as they could return to see their children or take away them at any time.” Public foster homes only receive orphans and the mothers don’t know of their babies’ whereabouts after they are adopted, he says.

Shut down
This brave monk has already faced huge difficulties in obtaining hukou, or household registration, for the children, which is needed to access public education and healthcare. Now it is reported that the local government in Rugao, a county-level city under Nantong’s jurisdiction, has shut down his foster home, and forced him to sign an agreement that all the women leave and take their children with them. He is also ordered to cease all further rescue work of women and children in Rugao.

Battling on
Daolu hasn’t disbanded the women and children as he promised in the letter, instead arranging for them to live in apartments rented by himself, or the homes of lay Buddhists. He said that there are currently more than 20 women waiting to give birth and 23 children up to five years of age under his care. He has no plans to stop his rescue efforts, and has vowed to keep fighting to get legal recognition for the children.

Incomprehensible number of lives lost
This is a somewhat surprising article to find in the Global Times, whose editorial stance is strongly pro-government. Even more surprisingly, it admits the enormous scale of abortion in China – 23 million abortions a year, including 10 million that are performed in private clinics or via medication (which the Chinese government repeatedly ignored). However, it makes no mention that many are the direct result of China’s coercive population control policy, and forced abortion is rife.

Read More

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth has urged Catholics to register to vote, in advance of a unusual postal referendum on legal recognition of same-sex marriage.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth has urged Catholics to register to vote, in advance of a unusual postal referendum on legal recognition of same-sex marriage.

  14:24    Catholic Channels

---

An Australian archbishop has urged Catholics to register to vote, in advance of a unusual postal referendum on legal recognition of same-sex marriage.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, in a pastoral letter to be read at all the parishes of the archdiocese, explained that the Catholic Church “cannot support proposals for the changing of the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex couples.”

While acknowledging that the Catholic Church cannot impose its beliefs on Australian society, the archbishop added that Catholics have every right to air their views. He decried ad hominem attacks on those who oppose same-sex marriage:

It is unworthy to suggest that those who argue against the proposed redefinition of marriage are homophobic or in some way lacking in intellectual depth. It is unfair to suggest that they are trying to force their views on others. It is cruel to claim that such people are devoid of love, compassion or understanding for those in same-sex relationships.
The Australian government is organizing a non-binding “postal plebiscite” in which registered voters will be asked to weigh in on the question of same-sex marriage. The results will be tabulated in November.

Read More

‘We cannot accept the unethical way Canadian mining companies have been operating in Latin America ‘

‘We cannot accept the unethical way Canadian mining companies have been operating in Latin America ‘

  13:51    Catholic Channels

---

The Catholic bishops of Canada have issued a letter condemning “the unethical way Canadian mining companies have been operating in Latin America or other regions of the world.”

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Bishop Douglas Crosby of Hamilton, writing in his capacity as president of the Canadian bishops’ conference, says that the hierarchy “cannot remain indifferent to the cry of the poor or to the repercussions of environmental degradation on our common home.” The letter calls for appointment of an ombudsman to handle complaints against mining companies; measures to allow Canadian courts to handle prosecution of mining companies for violations of environmental law in other countries; and an end to government support of mining companies through free-trade agreements and international investment protection.

Read More

why black crosses mark on the foreheads of many catholics, history of Ash Wednesday and Easter celebration

why black crosses mark on the foreheads of many catholics, history of Ash Wednesday and Easter celebration

  22:48    Catholic Channels

---

Black crosses  mark on the foreheads of many Christians, signifying the start of the Lenten season.
It's all part of Ash Wednesday. Learn more about the religious day, from the symbolism behind the black crosses to its history.
Ash Wednesday is inextricably linked to Easter. After all, it marks the beginning of the Lent penance period that ends on that important Christian holiday. But, even though the Easter story takes place in biblical times, the traditions of Ash Wednesday aren't quite that old.
"The practice of Ash Wednesday dates back to the 11th Century," says Lauren F. Winner, a priest and assistant professor at Duke Divinity School. "You see that in the book Daniel in the nine chapter there's a line about associating fasting with ashes, so ashes are associated with penance, which is the dominant theme of Lent."
And the most familiar Ash Wednesday observance—the ash crosses worn on the foreheads of many churchgoers—hasn't always been acknowledged by all branches of Christianity, Winner says. It wasn't until a few decades ago that the tradition became widespread in the United States.
In the 1970s, the practice matched up with a few wider trends in American religion, including the embrace of once-discarded traditions and the search for ways to connect the physical body to spiritual life. Ash Wednesday was an opportunity for a multi-sensory way of connecting faith to the body, so many American Christians at the time decided to begin wearing that outward physical mark of their spiritual lives. Winner says she thinks its popularity has endured as it offers those celebrating an easy way to prompt conversations about faith.

"We've seen the rise of a whole array of bodily practices and this is a very striking one for those who are not necessarily comfortable talking about faith,"she says. "The practice of this once a year is an organic way of drawing their faith into their lives."
Stay on top of the history behind today’s news.
But what is it exactly that's on the foreheads of those observing the holiday? The ash used for Ash Wednesday is made of palm branches used on the previous Palm Sunday, when Christians carry palms in a nod to the Gospels' reference to Jesus' path being covered in palm fronds on the day he entered Jerusalem. Occasionally the ashes are mixed with oil so they stay on congregants' foreheads for longer.
In modern times, especially as cremation has become more popular in the U.S., many people imbue the ashes with a new level of meaning, Winner says. "[They represent] penance and mortality," she says, "but there's also a much stronger and more palpable association if people were just last year scattering ashes of a family member."
With many religious traditions, the meaning can often be lost over time. But Winner says Ash Wednesday, even as observances evolve, is one exception to that rule."It's very powerful to say those words about 'you are dust and to dust you shall return,'" she says. "I keep waiting for it to get overly familiar and lose its power but it doesn't."

Read More