An appropriate greeting on Ash Wednesday?

[Anonymous]

You can always ask “How was mass?” If you notice they have their ashes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have volunteer work this Wednesday and SR will stop by to distribute ashes at the office. I know my volunteer supervisor and some of team members might keep ashes on. Should I say “Happy Ash Wednesday?” Does “Have a good lent” sound more appropriate? Or should I not say anything at all? Sorry for being clueless but would like to be polite when I see them this Wednesday. Thank you for your help!

"Have a good lent"?! This is too stupid for words.
Say nothing.

Don’t listen to this troll trying to make Catholics look bigoted. Saying “Happy Lent” is completely fine. It is a day to practice humility and generosity. It isn’t a time that people will be easily offended.

Saying "Happy Lent" is completely stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"You've got some schmutz on your keppe."

Only if you want to show everybody you’re rude and bigoted.

Still funny.

Maybe if you're 12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have volunteer work this Wednesday and SR will stop by to distribute ashes at the office. I know my volunteer supervisor and some of team members might keep ashes on. Should I say “Happy Ash Wednesday?” Does “Have a good lent” sound more appropriate? Or should I not say anything at all? Sorry for being clueless but would like to be polite when I see them this Wednesday. Thank you for your help!

"Have a good lent"?! This is too stupid for words.
Say nothing.

Don’t listen to this troll trying to make Catholics look bigoted. Saying “Happy Lent” is completely fine. It is a day to practice humility and generosity. It isn’t a time that people will be easily offended.

I’m a Catholic. Not this poster but a Catholic. Happy Lent is inappropriate and verges on disrespectful because you don’t know anything about my religion but decide to throw a “happy” in front of Lent because you couldn’t be bothered to learn anything about it. PP, I may not speak for all Catholics but you don’t either…

This just goes to show that no matter what you do, you're bound to offend someone.

So just ignore and don't say anything. Sadly, those are the days that we're living in. Instead of being touched that someone is looking to recognize your holy day, someone will be angry at you.

-Former Catholic

"People are telling OP (who asked) not to make stupid, insensitive comments about other people's religious holidays. Pooooor me. I can't say anything anymore. I'm sooooooo oppressed."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can always ask “How was mass?” If you notice they have their ashes

dont say this. Bc not everyone is Catholic. Other denominations like Methodists and Presbyterians etc also get ashes but they attend ‘services’

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d go with either saying nothing at all, or asking them if they did anything to celebrate Mardi Gras. There’s no customary greeting for Protestants. You may get coworkers bringing in leftover King cake and donuts that they don’t want to keep at home though. That’s a nice bonus of sharing office space with people from different backgrounds.

Yep. This is all fine. Just for the record, I don't mind if people ask me what I gave up for Lent.

but not all denominations ‘give up’ something. Really don’t say anything. Or stick with the safe:”hi, how r u?”

[Anonymous]

I think God read this post and just shook his head. He wants us to love each other. I know He loves you all.

I've decided not to wish my Catholic friends a happy Ash Wednesday.

I have friends of many different religions. It is not uncommon for someone to try to connect with others on a personal level, but working hard not to misstep. I think that is all OP was trying to do, and she did not deserve to be ridiculed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can always ask “How was mass?” If you notice they have their ashes

dont say this. Bc not everyone is Catholic. Other denominations like Methodists and Presbyterians etc also get ashes but they attend ‘services’

In this country, a religious sister (pretty much a nun, the distinction is subtle) who visits on this Good Friday (Orthodox Ash Wednesday is a different week) to distribute ashes is Catholic.

So, OP could get away with "how was mass?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can always ask “How was mass?” If you notice they have their ashes

dont say this. Bc not everyone is Catholic. Other denominations like Methodists and Presbyterians etc also get ashes but they attend ‘services’

In this country, a religious sister (pretty much a nun, the distinction is subtle) who visits on this Good Friday (Orthodox Ash Wednesday is a different week) to distribute ashes is Catholic.

So, OP could get away with "how was mass?"

Would you say "how was Mass?" as a friendly greeting on Sundays? If not, please don't do it for ash wednesday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can always ask “How was mass?” If you notice they have their ashes

dont say this. Bc not everyone is Catholic. Other denominations like Methodists and Presbyterians etc also get ashes but they attend ‘services’

In this country, a religious sister (pretty much a nun, the distinction is subtle) who visits on this Good Friday (Orthodox Ash Wednesday is a different week) to distribute ashes is Catholic.

So, OP could get away with "how was mass?"

Would you say "how was Mass?" as a friendly greeting on Sundays? If not, please don't do it for ash wednesday.

If I saw a religious sister, or someone else I knew to be a religious Catholic, who I knew was coming from mass, yeah I might. It's called making polite conversation.

We see my IL's on Sunday. Most weeks we go to Mass with them, but sometimes we might go to different ones (e.g. if my kid has a morning soccer game so we go to Saturday mass). If I know they went to Mass and I see them on Sunday? Yeah, I'd say "how was mass? Who was preaching? What hymns did you sing? Oh, I like that one."

I live a block from our church, so if I know you go to my church, and I see you on Sunday morning, walking away from church, in your church clothes, with the bulletin in your hand? I might ask you too!

I wouldn't say that to someone I didn't know went to mass. So, I wouldn't say it to someone with ashes unless I knew they were Catholic, and I wouldn't say it to a Catholic person on Sunday unless I know they went. Because I'm not looking to either presume Catholicism, or to shame someone who might not have gone. But those don't apply here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can always ask “How was mass?” If you notice they have their ashes

dont say this. Bc not everyone is Catholic. Other denominations like Methodists and Presbyterians etc also get ashes but they attend ‘services’

In this country, a religious sister (pretty much a nun, the distinction is subtle) who visits on this Good Friday (Orthodox Ash Wednesday is a different week) to distribute ashes is Catholic.

So, OP could get away with "how was mass?"

Would you say "how was Mass?" as a friendly greeting on Sundays? If not, please don't do it for ash wednesday.

If I saw a religious sister, or someone else I knew to be a religious Catholic, who I knew was coming from mass, yeah I might. It's called making polite conversation.

We see my IL's on Sunday. Most weeks we go to Mass with them, but sometimes we might go to different ones (e.g. if my kid has a morning soccer game so we go to Saturday mass). If I know they went to Mass and I see them on Sunday? Yeah, I'd say "how was mass? Who was preaching? What hymns did you sing? Oh, I like that one."

I live a block from our church, so if I know you go to my church, and I see you on Sunday morning, walking away from church, in your church clothes, with the bulletin in your hand? I might ask you too!

I wouldn't say that to someone I didn't know went to mass. So, I wouldn't say it to someone with ashes unless I knew they were Catholic, and I wouldn't say it to a Catholic person on Sunday unless I know they went. Because I'm not looking to either presume Catholicism, or to shame someone who might not have gone. But those don't apply here.

Wow -- I never occurred to me to ask "how was Mass". maybe because the point of mass is the ritual, which is always the same.

The sermon varies, of course, but when I went, it was pretty much always an embarrassment that you wouldn't want to talk about later -- assuming you hadn't tuned it out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think God read this post and just shook his head. He wants us to love each other. I know He loves you all.

I've decided not to wish my Catholic friends a happy Ash Wednesday.

I have friends of many different religions. It is not uncommon for someone to try to connect with others on a personal level, but working hard not to misstep. I think that is all OP was trying to do, and she did not deserve to be ridiculed.

I might have missed it, but I did not perceive anyone ridiculing OP. I think people just answered the question.

[Anonymous]

I am Catholic, people have said Happy Ash Wednesday. I am not offended at all.

Honestly my preference would be to ignore it. I feel self-conscious. But I am not offended and I don’t think most people IRL are either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am Catholic, people have said Happy Ash Wednesday. I am not offended at all.

Honestly my preference would be to ignore it. I feel self-conscious. But I am not offended and I don’t think most people IRL are either.

If someone wished me a happy ash wednesday, I'd just figure they were not catholic. I might tell them them it was not meant to be a joyous holiday to spare them from continuing to wish people with ashes on their heads a happy day.

[Anonymous]

What about "hi"?