Panta Pei

One of the last times I went to church (when I was 14 or so) at St. John's on Ash Wednesday (Woden...heh heh heh), I kept thinking to myself..."man, I gotta be looking like Charlie Manson right about now" until I got home and realized it was more of a smudge...then I just felt like a goof.

Lightning bolts are way cooler

Coragyps

Lots of Episcopalians do ashes for today - but your average Southern Baptist wouldn't know Ash Wednesday from Boxing Day. They would have never heard of either.

phlebas

Coragyps, you're not being fair. All Southern Baptists have heard of Ash Wednesday. It's clearly marked in all their day-by-day Life's Little Instruction Book calendars.

Boxing Day is different. It's not really celebrated in the States, where the SoBs live.

DarkBronzePlant

Hey WYA,

Next year (if you're still at the same school), I think that, when the preist rubs the ashes on your forehead, you should fall to the ground and start screaming

"OHHH! IT BURNS! IT BURNS! GET IT OFF!!!! IT BURNS!!!!!!!"

Synaesthesia

And now the news with Mertle Remtel,

...And in other news, a miracle this morning. Justin Metheus, a local baker, was carrying a load of pastries for the local Church’s 3rd annual picnic. Unexpectedly, as one might expect, a group of three armed men burst in and demanded cash. Finding that it wasn’t a bank, one of the individuals shot him in the stomach. Justin lay helpless for most of the night, attempting to stop the bleeding using hot crossed buns which had fallen, as mana from heaven. Karen Eleesha has the story.

*captioned: Karen Eleesha*

Thanks Mertle.
In the morning, somewhat dilapidated but alive, employees found him lying in a pool of blood. One of them ran to call an ambulance while the others attempted to carry him to the office. At that moment, an inexplicable series of events occurred. An upset pan knocked into a level activating the conveyer belt. The movement was sufficient to knock over a pressure boiler which had been left on overnight, killing Justin and two of the employees.

*Switch to image of man in a scientific-looking smock, captioned: Dr. Harry Bilton PhD head lab technician at the aquadynamics lab in Wheiston Col. University*

The chances of this occurring naturally are infinitesimal. There is simply no possible explanation! Clearly this could only be the work of God almighty in heaven.

*switch to middle aged woman, captioned: Rosa Metheus*

I’m so glad that God provided this gift to me. With my husband out of the way I can now dedicate my life to Christ.

*switch to Karen*

Police have chosen not to pursue the would-be bank robbers since, as Detective John Mitchen has said and I quote, “It is manifestly obvious that this series of events was the will of God, we will not interfere with his perfect plan.”

MOJO-JOJO

Maybe you should just replace it with a big Red Dot and tell everyone that you've become a Hindu

case

I'd just be thankful that there isn't a Feces Friday.

StrongMan

LOL!!

In college, my roomate's gf was Catholic. She came to our room with the dirt on her head. I gave her a funny look, said "you got a little something on your face" and proceeded to whipe it off. Boy did she get pissed! She started to yell and scream at me, meanwhile my roomate was laughing so hard he was crying. She got pissed at him and dumped him right there. Good times

bgponder

To the apparent majority:

I must protest, and raise the question: Is it not prudent to recognize and use the force of habit (ritual) in human nature to psychologically underscore that which we deem beneficial? One may question that which is reinforced, but I beg to distinguish between the efficacy of ritual and its intent. Is the Pledge of Alliegance (to the U.S., disregarding the one nation under god) never appropriate? Do you sing a song you with which you have empathy only once?

Any religion is justified in using ritual.

To the specific question of the OP rhetorically: Since it was raining, and the ash does wash off, and in that we have no real details, we might conclude that you walked under an excessive drip from a building in an unconscious attempt to wash the ash off yourself and do not remember it. Given your conceded hostility(?) to the ritual, it is possible that you repress such memories out-of-hand. Ergo the possibilities are many, thus we have no reason to conclude a "miracle".

Peace and cornbread, Barry

Jesus Tap-Dancin' Christ

Lent fucking sucks. Yesterday, fish were 99 cents at McDonald's. Gues who had to work from 5 till close? Yeah. Guess how busy we were until 9:00? Fucking Catholics with their fucking 12 fish at a fucking time!!!!

Ash Wednesday wasn't nearly as bad...