What words are traditionally said when ashes are given? "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The phrase recalls God's words to Adam in Genesis 3:19 before the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. The person administering ashes also may say, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
Ash Wednesday is today. It marks the first day of Lent in Western churches. The ashes symbolize penance and the dust from which God made people. When priests mark Christian's forehead with the ashes they often say, “Repent and believe in the Gospel,” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
When the priest applies the cross of ashes, he says to the worshiper: "“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” He also may say “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” It is not required that a worshiper wear the ashes for the rest of the day, although many Christians choose to do so.
The ashes placed on one's forehead are a symbol of that. As the priest applies them in a cross formation on someone's forehead, they will say either, “Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”
As we scatter his (her) ashes, we commit his(her) body to you and pray that he finds eternal rest for the glory of your holy name. Lord, forgive us where we have strayed during this grieving season. Fill us with thanksgiving for his well-lived and full life. In Jesus' name, we believe and pray, Amen.
While most Catholics keep them on at least throughout Mass (if they receive them before or during Mass), a person could choose to rub them off immediately. And while many Catholics keep their Ash Wednesday ashes on until bedtime, there's no requirement that they do so.
As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Alternatively, the priest may speak the words, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” Ashes also symbolize grief, in this case, grief that we have sinned and caused division from God.
Cremation does not “prevent God, in his omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life,” the Vatican says, but it does raise the possibility that the deceased's body, which the church believes is sacred, will not be properly respected by ancestors and relatives.
On Ash Wednesday, Catholics and many other Christians will have ashes applied to their foreheads in the shape of a cross. People generally wear the ashes — which symbolize penance, mourning and mortality — throughout the day to publicly express their faith and penance.
Since all of the organic matter is burned away during cremation, this is why ashes can last (almost) forever - or at least for our entire lifetime. Bones are still DNA and scientists believe that DNA has survived for about one million years.
While there is no time limit to how long you can store ashes in your home, you may want to consider having the ashes buried in a cemetery or use them to make a piece of jewelry as a keepsake.
There is no requirement to keep ashes on the forehead all day or for any period of time after they are given, but many Christians choose to keep them on their foreheads throughout the day on Ash Wednesday.
If you are concerned that the ashes will smell after the cremation, the answer is no. There is no odor emitted from ashes that have been properly cremated. Even over time, you shouldn't expect any particular smells to develop. If anything, certain cremation containers will simply emit a slight incense-like smell.
Scatter By Hand
Another method of how to scatter ashes is by hand. In this method, the family usually walks out to the desired location and scatters the ashes directly from the urn onto the ground. This can be a very peaceful experience for all involved.
How Long Do Cremated Ashes Last? Since cremation ashes are mostly made up of bone, and bones are not degradable, the ashes can last as long as a person wants them to. The typical packaging that ashes arrive in after the cremains are sent to a loved one is both air and water-tight.
When to divide ashes? Cremated remains are usually collected by either the funeral director or the person who arranged for the ceremony the day after the cremation. After receiving the ashes, you can decide when and how to divide them up.
Is it OK to Keep Cremains at Home? There's nothing bad about keeping cremated remains at home. Even though the practice is legal, those from specific faith communities may object to the practice. Some religious faiths, such as followers of Islam, Eastern Orthodox, and some Jewish sects forbid cremation.
The average cremated adult will produce about five pounds of pulverized bone fragments, a coarse powder that is sterile and safe to touch, even if the person died of a communicable disease.
What's really returned to you is the person's skeleton. Once you burn off all the water, soft tissue, organs, skin, hair, cremation container/casket, etc., what you're left with is bone. When complete, the bones are allowed to cool to a temperature that they can be handled and are placed into a processing machine.
In most cases, people are cremated in either a sheet or the clothing they are wearing upon arrival to the crematory. However, most Direct Cremation providers give you and your family the option to fully dress your loved one prior to Direct Cremation.
Only one body can be cremated at once, and all cremated remains must be cleared from the cremation chamber before another cremation can begin. These standards do mean that you may have little input into any 'customization' of a cremation process.
Does the body sit up during cremation? Yes, this can happen. Due to the heat and the muscle tissue, the body can move as the body is broken down, although this does happen inside the coffin, so it won't be visible.
Why do families need to wait? These different state laws are based on the typical amount of time it takes to complete authorizations, like issuing a death certificate. Because the crematorium needs the death certificate before they can cremate the body, this delays the process and is built into the waiting period.
The remains of an average size adult usually weigh between four to eight pounds of cremated remains.
The process takes anywhere between three to four hours depending on the power of the retort and the mass of the body inserted.