Ash Wednesday Reflection

"Why do you have something on your forehead"
"It's Ash Wednesday"
"Transsexual what?"

So said my professor in class today.

On Ash Wednesday, Catholics and Anglicans and several other branches of Christianity go to services to get ashes placed on their forehead. It marks the kickoff of Lent, which when I used that term solicited a few chuckles in class. But really that's what it is, an exciting start to the period of Lent, which to me is one of the most powerful, reflective periods of the year. It's the 40 (technically 46) days before Easter where we are asked to prepare our hearts minds and bodies for the greatest celebration of the Church year. Yes, Christmas gets all the press but Easter is actually the more important celebration because it marks the Christian belief that Jesus was not just a man but rose from the dead. It's always important that he died for our sins, yes, but the rising part marks the significance as to why 2000 years later people are still talking about it.

So yea, the ashes signify an acknowledgement of our mortality "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return", reminds of us our commitment to our faith, reminds us of our humility (people staring at you funny all day makes you a bit self conscious) and reminds us that we are called to support our faith, which leads me to conversations like that one listed above, where I explained Ash Wednesday to our class. It's actually a pretty well known tradition so it was interesting how many people were unfamiliar. It was also interesting that I was one of only two people I've seen today with ashes. Ash Wednesday is actually one of the most attended services of the year, ironically often by non practicing Catholics and practicing Catholics alike. I wonder if that's peer pressure, habit, or the special connection Christians and many non Christians have to Lent and the tradition of giving something up. The idea of being healthier, spiritually and physically, appeals to everyone.

So, before you ask, I usually don't give stuff up for Lent. Instead, I try to do more. Anything I give up are vices I try to give up all year. This Lent, my goals center around humility, prayer, and love and increasing all of those. I read Rediscovering Catholicism last year for Lent. This year I want to implement those lessons, which including developing prayer life, looking to role models in the saints, and being more in touch with the Sacraments. I have to spend this week pulling the book out and then implement throughout Lent. Wish me luck and prayers.

In closing, I leave you with this poem I came across today. It's written by T.S. Eliot and is very long, in Eliot fashion. It discusses his conversion experience to Anglicanism, but you may not pick it up from the complex structure he likes. It reads like Dante's Inferno, as a journey through various scenes and experiences. It's very beautiful poetry. I've copied a link below. I don't know if there are copyright laws against that but I defend the sharing of art with the world.

Enjoy and Happy Ash Wednesday!

T. S. Eliot "Ash Wednesday"

http://www.msgr.ca/msgr-7/ash_wednesday_t_s_eliot.htm