"Remember ..."
Remembering the Ashes "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return." "Turn away from sin and believe the Good News."
If I can accept the reality of "remembering" that I am dust, on Ash Wednesday, I can remember it after the ashes are gone. We can be tempted in our world today to live in denial about death. At one level, we may know we are mortal, and yet we too often live as though death is very far away. It is easy to deny the reality of death. We have so many ways to "put death off," so many ways to keep "looking young." In our independence, we can try so hard not to be vulnerable or weak at all. We praise strength and toughness. The reality of being mortal is not to surrender hope or vitality. Quite the opposite. To realize that we are limited and fragile, can lead to a humility that opens our hearts to being truly dependent on God, and more profoundly open to the reality of our redemption. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have been saved from the power of sin and the power of death. It opens us to a new hope and deep vitality. That's why it is so important to remember the Ashes all throught Lent. It is remembering the humility of that first day. It is remembering a continuing openness to placing my life in God's hands. This remembering opens us to the graces of Lent for us. I am a creature in need of God for life itself - the gift that gave me life, the gift that sustains me each day, and the gift of eternal life. The worst than can happen to me is that I will fall into the hands of a loving God. The result of this humility-leading-to-deep-confidence-and-trust is that we can live our lives with greater freedom and courage, even boldness. People who humbly live with ashes on their foreheads, and in their hearts, can walk with confidence in God's merciful and redeeming love. People who know where they've come from and where they are going can live and love boldly. Ashes on Ash Wednesday - and a spirit of the ashes all during Lent - can prepare the way for great graces as we ask our Lord to free us and make us kinder and more compassionate with others. Whenever I'm struggling with what I'm "doing" during Lent, I can refresh my memory of the ashes with which I began this journey. It can be a "reset" for helping me return to being a humble creature, beloved by God, and eager to believe the Good News. |