Drive through Ashes. Quick and easy. Like McDonald's. They could not of course be doing this without their Bishop being aware. Sigh. I give up. There are no words. Catering for people who could not be annoyed getting off their asses and walking into a Church. Sometimes I feel like just having a good strong scream. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39080524 Forget burgers and chips. An Irish church is planning to set up a new drive-thru and there's only one thing on the menu - ashes. Churchgoers will be able to receive the traditional Ash Wednesday blessing from the comfort of their cars thanks to plans in Glenamaddy, County Galway. Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent and falls on 1 March. Catholics traditionally go to church and have their foreheads marked with ash in the shape of a cross. However, in a move that brings to mind Las Vegas' famous Little White Chapel and its drive-thru weddings, St Patrick's Church in Glenamaddy is planning a modern approach for those who do not have time to attend Mass. Thinking outside the box As reported in the Irish Catholic, the church will allow parishioners to drive up to its front door, receive the traditional blessing and drive off again on their way to work, school or the shops. The church conveniently has a lane that leads right up to the door. Fr Paddy Mooney, who agreed the strategy with the church's pastoral council, said the move was about facilitating people and thinking outside the box. "We looked at the situation on the ground. People and families are on the move all the time," he told the Irish Catholic. "It's about meeting people where they are." The church will also set up a Lenten petition box in its grounds that will allow people to submit prayer requests during Lent without having to leave their car. "We're just putting it in front of people to help them think of Lent, as a reminder of it," said the priest.
My mother never told me we would have priests like this (apologies to Van the Man). I suppose we should be grateful it's asses and not Holy Communion.
Oh dear. That should be ashes. At least, Padraig, now we have a definition of peripheries. It's the Church car park.
I was in the Church once ever for mass and it was the week before the Gay marriage referendum in Ireland, he was one of the few priests I have heard who advised people to vote against Gay Marriage. Even as people were waling on on his sermon. He gave a wonderful sermon on the subject. Not sure about the ashes though, I hope to be getting my ashes elsewhere as usual.
I was trying to break down why I had the immediate feeling of horror I have about drive through ashes. After all on the surface it seems very practical, very reaching out. Very modern, a good idea. The problem is that the Parish Priest here is using a buisness model for something that is Spiritual/ mystical/ liturgical. He has a product to sell; a liturgical celebration. The problem? The product is not selling too well , the clients are not coming into the store to buy. The answer? Take the product to the street, make it quicker , easier more obtainable and as a big , big bonus get some massive publicity by copming up with a very novel sales gimick? What's not to like? Well what's not to like is that the , 'product' is not physical but liturgical. Not material but spiritual. You don't sell the spiritual as you do the material otherwise it would be wise to have our priests studying for an MBA in seminary. So a spiritual problem (people are not coming to Church) requires a spiritual answer. Such as ? Well Our Lady has indicated many of these in her apparitions. The rosary, fasting and penance. In short nothing attracts people like holiness and the holy. So a few suggestions, Eucharistic Adoration, Perpetual if possible. Prayer groups. Getting people to volunteer for fast and prayer. Intensive retreats. Teaching the truths of the Faith. But the spiritual person understand all things spiritually. The material person understands all things materially. To speaks of spiritual measures to someone who is not himself spiritual would be like talking Double Dutch to my dogs. It will go in one ear and out the other. So the priest will go on looking for material solutions for a spiritual problem whilst his parish shrinks and shrinks and shrinks till he has no Parish. Not that i blame this individual priest as such. He is merely doing , probably what his Bishop and other Bishops are doing, what his Cardinal is doing and most certainly what the Vatican is currently doing. Marrying the Church to the world, which scripture teaches us is a total abomination. But more than this is going to , as it has in the recent past be a totally abject failure. What we should be doing is to be Holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy; without this the pews stay empty. Revelation 19:7-9 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
I agree mostly. But what is worse someone not bothering to get ashes or getting ashes in a drive through?
I would very, very much prefer them not to go near a Church. Why? Because as Jesus said: Revelation 3:15-17 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. If drive through Ashes are not lukewarm, spit them out of my mouth stuff, I don't know what is. Better they never darken a Church Door again than McD ashes
Come to think of it , better the priest never darken a Church Door again either. The buisness world needs him better.
Aside from anything else, on Ash Wednesday we should be attending mass. Drive in ashes without mass seems to me a very funny buisness.
This slick idea negates the whole idea of the solemnity of Ash Wednesday. It is horrifying. It becomes a "thing" not a surrender, not a beginning of a prayerful and penitential Lent but a "check the box" kind of moment. Click. Got that done. Next. I don't know. I don't want to sound "judgemental"--heaven forbid, but come on! Drive through ashes? What's next? Drive through Holy Communion? Chill inducing.
I know the area well North Galway and as I said I only went to that Church once, but other Churches in the vicinity and very much 'Church of Nice' affairs. Communion on the tongue is practically non existent.
I don't think God will stick this much longer, it is like spitting in His Face. It is like making Him some kind of joke.
McDonalds ashes is right... if they really gave it some thought they could probably come up with a great gimmick to cover the fasting and abstinence part too... how about a "Happy Collation", complete with meat-free veggie burger and a plastic toy of the pope? I'm sure the priest means well in his misguided way, but in fairness... It wouldn't be out of place in an episode of Father Ted.
