Bishop Jaime Soto will preside at the 12:10 p.m Mass in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and two outdoor liturgies in downtown Sacramento on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 13, to begin the Lenten season, which is marked by prayer, fasting and almsgiving. All liturgies will include the blessing and distribution of ashes.
Ash Wednesday is a day of fast and abstinence for Catholics. At Mass on Ash Wednesday, the imposition of ashes replicates an ancient penitential practice and symbolizes the faithful’s dependence upon God’s mercy and forgiveness.
The bishop will preside at an 8:30 a.m. Liturgy of the Word with distribution of ashes on the West steps of the state Capitol building, located at 10th and L Streets. He will also preside at a 5 p.m. Liturgy of the Word and distribution of ashes outside the John E. Moss Federal Building at 650 Capitol Ave. (corner of 7th and Capitol). The cathedral is located at 1017 11thSt.
In his Lenten regulations for 2013, Bishop Soto notes that Lent prepares the faithful to celebrate the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection. “It is a time for reflection and spiritual renewal, a time to examine one’s relationships with God and with others,” he says.
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Will the pro-abortion leader of the CA Assembly be asked to assist the Bishop in administering ashes onto the foreheads of the faithful?
Speaker John Perez might well decide to receive the ashes at the Capitol providing the media is there to capture the event. If not, there are plenty of other pro-abortion and pro-homosexual legislators who seek recognition as Catholics (in name only).
I hope that Bishop Soto is inviting public sinners to repent; to come forward and acknowledge their errors and embrace the truth of Jesus Christ in the sight of their community. Sadly, you may be right, they might just be seeking publicity for their sins… but the ashes really sum the final result of all that vanity and arrogance up. Too bad these lost souls are so opaque, even to the clear signs and calls to repentance that the Church offers. Praying and fasting for their conversion!
Great post, Maria. That certainly was the intention of Our Lord when he ate with sinners, which includes all of us to a certain extent. We need to pray for ourselves — that we have final perseverance, and that others repent and serve the Lord, too, before it is too late for them. The bishops should use whatever it takes to bring them to repentance. After all, that should be the goal of any type of punishment.
Maria,
A real clear sign would be for Bishop Soto to refuse them the Sacramental ashes! Well one can hope!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
St. Christopher,
Very good question!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
The public at large pretty much sees the Catholic Church now as a homosexual organization. I always have to provide a disclaimer to this notion whenever I mention my Catholicism or some good work of Catholicism.
Yes, Skai, the result of all of this scandal has taken its toll on the Church. It is pretty hard to tell someone at times that they should join it, even though it is the Church Christ started with all this going on, but there were Judases from the beginning. Pray God we are not one of them.
I should have said, “Pray God we do not become one of them — Judases that is.”
I don’t agree skai. Perhaps in California that is the perception, but certainly not in ‘stodgy and old-fashioned’ states where there hasn’t been the tolerance of homosexuals in the Church or such a cavalier attitude about erring clergy. On the front page of our newspaper today was an interview w/our local priest about his take on Pope Benedict’s abdication. Most people here respect the Church and its priests, even if they don’t like us because we’re Catholics. ;o)
Was homosexuality tolerated in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah Dana?
Bravo for Bishop Soto handing out ashes at the CA State Capitol. Jesus said “I have come to call sinners, not the just.” Can’t think of a better venue to find a group more in need of penance than the CA State Legislature.
Next step: the FBI holds a teach-in at the Captiol on crime.
I wish the clergy would no longer wear the old fashioned long dress or robe or cassock. In the homosexual culture of California, it sends the wrong message. Black slacks and black shirt with white collar would be just fine.
I don’t know, John. In our area, it seems that the very orthodox priests are the ones wearing the cassocks much of the time in areas around a church, and they are very graceful but manly looking in them. They then put on their black slacks and shirts to go out into the secular world.
Anne T.
I know some very manly priests who always wear the cassock!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Well, Kenneth and John, the black oxfords that are worn with the cassocks and the “military” type buttons on the clothing certainly do not look very feminine. Also, who would have told a Celt or a Roman soldier that they looked like women in their “skirts”, nor would one tell an Arab or Jew in the desert that they are girlish because they wear men’s robes. Just as some women look very feminine in pants and others don’t — it depends on the hair and accessories such as jewelry — some men look great in men’s robes and cassocks.
I think the young seminarians from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter even play soccer in their cassocks.
From this article: “the imposition of ashes replicates an ancient penitential practice and symbolizes the faithful’s dependence upon God’s mercy and forgiveness”. Yes this is true; however when the Roman Catholic Priest administers the ashes on our foreheads and says “Remember man that you are dust and to dust you shall return” means more than just what the article stated. It is a sign of our nothingness compared to our all omnipotent God, to dissuade us from our foolish sinful pride, to recognize that God is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that we are nothing, have absolutely nothing without Him, and yet He loves us, His children truly. We cannot even take a breath of air without His willing it. If He ceased to think about us, we, any memories of us, and any records of us would disappear as though they never existed, i.e., life would be as though we never existed for our families and friends just like in Jimmy Steward’s famous Christmastide movie! Have a holy Ash Wednesday! Try to fast all Lent long for the salvation of souls as well as our own.
John, there is another reason for Catholic priests wearing long attire. The priests of the Old Testament were told to wear long robes so as to be modest going up the steps of the Temple and not to expose parts of their body. The long robes of our priests are a carrying over from that — as they are very modest and priests do have to climb steps at times.
“Turn away from sin, and be faithful to the Gospel.”
These words are good for eveyrone to hear and to heed — especially sinners. Which is everyone on this planet.