If you are in church ministry as a line of work, you probably use initials as a shorthand for various parish programs. Here are some of the most commonly used: RCIA - Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults; CCD - Confraternity of Christian Doctrine or a variety of other words designed to fill out the initials CCD; RC - Roman Catholic; PV - Parochial Vicar. The Vatican is filled with groups known by their initials - most Catholic can go their entire life and not have to content with any of them. Then we come to possibly one of the most used - A & P Catholics - stands for Ashes and Palms Catholics. This can be a positive or a negative abbreviation - but still it is widely used in Church circles.
Ashes and Palms - Here is what it means and what is the connection:
Ashes are the byproduct of burning palms, a clear way of explaining - "Remember you are dust and unto dust you will return." This is the positive spiritual meaning of A and P Catholics. Nothing denigrating about it. That is the way it should be. Unfortunately, there are some who use the abbreviation to look down on those people that they feel only come twice a year - Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday. There are some in Church ministry who do like to feel superior to people that are not as enlightened as they are. So they pity those pour souls who truly do not understand the beauty of the symbols and all the liturgies of Lent.
The Church ministers who seem to be putting people down by using the phrase "A and P Catholics" may see themselves as far more sophisticated than the rest of the people who really feel genuinely deprived if they do not receive ashes and palms. It seems to me that we forget who educated our people in the ways, the mores, and the customs of our faith. This topic puts me right on my personal soapbox - especially when I hear church ministers talking about the people who do not come to Church. Just a personal thought, but in my gentle view, how the heck can you criticize people for not coming to Church if the quality of preaching is not outstanding. A mountain (slight exaggeration!) has documented repeatedly how important are the following factors in whether people come to Mass (first is quality of preaching, then a welcoming community and music that draws people into a community of believers in Jesus. Can we not take and consider our own responsibility for the quality of preaching, the liturgical music, an environment of joy and caring within the parish community.
The quality of preaching in parishes is one of the most documented and addressable problems in the life of the church. The devotional life of our people is nurtured through all the various things that come so us from our senses - stained glass, ashes, palms, medals, statues, religious art and so many other things.
So my personal opinion, and off the soapbox, use the palms, use the ashes, use so many things, soak in the music- and everything about our faith we can use. And, just a suggestion which I do apply first to myself, and often forget (sadly): we need to be gentle with each other. News flash: few of us are perfect! Sorry, this is what the data shows!
I would make just one edit in the above graphic: "Work hard and be kind ABOUT each other."