“Ash Wednesday” Feb. 6
Jan 31st, 2008 by John
I read about a pastor putting ashes in the sign of the cross on his 3 year old daughter’s forehead. He reports that the reality of human mortality slammed into his consciousness. “Remember you are dust and to dust you will return.” Ashes represent death. Ashes represent mortality. Ashes represent our sinful frailty. To see the symbol of these things on a child shouts at and shakes us. The juxtaposition of ashes and innocence reminds us that death is the destiny of all of us (see Ecclesiastes 7:2).
“O my people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes; mourn with bitter wailing as for an only son, for suddenly the destoyer will come upon us” (Jeremiah 6:26).
“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:3).
“Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes” (Luke 10:13).
Ash Wednesday invites us once again to turn from death toward life as we journey toward the cross of Jesus Christ and onto his stunning resurrection (Easter). The journey must begin with repentance. Without repentance from us there is no resurrection for us.
Some readers may know that the ashes used in many churches are remains of burned palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday branches. Ashes in the sign of the cross on our forehead is a simple, graphic symbol charged with eternal, practical meaning. We are dust. We are very temporary. Yet we are loved. We have hope.
Ashes will give way to eternal light.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Popularity: 4% [?]
I thought for a second from the post title that you were going to reference the Wallflowers’ song. I was going to jump for joy.
I’m finding in my new job as a CENA at a nursing home that death is all around, in so many forms. People can lose their minds, their memories, their freedom, their independence, their comfort…and then their bodies die. It’s hard with so much death around all the time, not to focus on it and forget the new life we have in Christ.
Post Blackbird Song,
You are in a sacred and wise place it seems with death all around…”it is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone…”
good thoughts on Ash Wednesday. I think many of us in evangelical circles tend to forget the importance of ashes and the roots in biblical symbolism.
Sacred Vapor,
I agree. I think we miss the power of symbol, too.
Thanks John. Excellent post.
John,
I come from a church that doesn’t practice ash Wed. I wish we did. It think it looses its sybolism and meaning. It think it helps us loose our understanding that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I wish by observing this ritual we would see that we sin, we make mistakes, we aren’t holier than thou. I wish by observing this ritual it would help draw us closer and closer to grace of God. Excellent post brother.
I have another note that I would like to ask of you brother. I would like to ask you and all of your fellow blogger to stop by my blog and pray for my wife and I. I am not doing good in health. Please stop by and pray for me it would mean alot to me. I understand if you can’t. You have alread do so much to encourage my faith in so many ways: you posts, you taking the time to respond to me; but it would me so much if not just you but all of your readers would stop by and let me know your praying or say short pray; light a candle at Mass.
Greg,
God bless you, my brother.
(Preacherman) Kinney,
I visited your website and posted a prayer for you in the “comments” section. We’ll keep praying.
Thank you.
Right now I am having the worst migraine I have ever had in my life and am going to be. I appeciate your prayers.