Ashes 2 Ashes

Blessed Ash Wednesday!

It's the first day of Lent, and it cracks me up that the OFFICIAL name for Ash Wednesday is:  Ash Wednesday!  It would be like officially calling Easter "Resurrection Day," or Christmas "Jesus's Birthday."  Heck, even Christmas is officially known as "The Nativity of the Lord" on the Catholic calendar. 

Ash Wednesday is thusly called because all us fisheaters (although EVERYONE is welcome to come get ashed!!) get ashes placed on our foreheads as a sign of repentance and mortality of human flesh.  The priest makes the sign of the cross on our foreheads with the ashes, but it never actually looks like a cross -more like a smudge from pressing your head against a dirty window.  And yes, I WILL walk around all day like that.

When I was a kid, as the priest made the sign of the cross on our foreheads he would mutter, "Remember you are dust, and unto dust you shall return."  Now they say, "Turn from sin and follow the Gospel."  Lacks that Gothic sensibility I enjoy about being Catholic, but probably more in line with the whole Word of God.

So, Lent.  I try to give up something, take on something, and pick a prayer discipline I don't often adhere to.  The point of all of this isn't to lose weight or break bad habits, but to bring us closer to God.  Really!

What shall I give up?  I went through all the usual things and a few unusual ones, and settled on swearing.  I'm giving up foul language for Lent.  It is a misuse of the gift of speaking to be ugly with it.

Which brings me to what I am taking on.  I am going to make a conscious effort to acknowledge and thank people for the things they do, thus using the gift of speech to lift others up.

I've been a bit a lackadaisical about Scripture reading, so I'm rededicating myself to reading the daily Mass readings.

So, now as you wander about today seeing lots of dirty foreheads -you know why!