The Season of Lent is here. I wrote this to prepare for Ash Wednesday, and I thought I'd share it with you. After listening to the messages of yesterday, I knew in my heart, it was the right thing for right now. - AmyK
Ash Wednesday, You'll no doubt have been thinking about it. Perhaps seen the small changes to the environment around the Parish. Starting on Ash Wednesday - you'll see the Altar Cloths change to purple, the decorations get a little more sparse, and the lines for confession get a little longer. This week in Liturgy - I want to talk about Ash Wednesday and how we are going to do things just the same as every other year, but different.
Since I was a child, ashes were distributed on your forehead with the swipe of a thumb or finger. If we were lucky, we went after school. If we were even one second late leaving for school - we went to Mass First and wore our ashes in public, all day. A unifying experience for Catholics worldwide. I think of the off center, messy, chunk of a cross that you could somehow see formed over your eyebrows, or the neatly perfect tiny cross made by the sweet church lady you're friends with. I've had both at Transfiguration. This year, I'm not sure what it'll be.
This year, we're going to have our priests, deacons and liturgical helpers (no volunteers) sweep the dust onto our foreheads with long swabs to preserve social distance. It seems strange. Impersonal somehow. I think everyone involved understands that the process is lacking something important. The Touch. And what about those who cannot safely return to church for the swab? What happens to the ashes for those folks? The outward sign? The Symbol? The thing?
But is it only a thing? Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation. Ashes are a sacramental- they do bestow a grace- they do bring us closer to Christ. It is a tradition in our faith that begins our season of abstaining, prayer, almsgiving, longing, and hope. The Gospel reading for Mass that day always remind us to pray and fast in secret - the Father sees that which is done in your room -Go, wash your face. It is easy to be upset with the things that are changing or the things we Can't Do. It is more difficult to suggest that this feeling of friction that we may be feeling is something you can apply to our receiving of ashes. Our missing this, IS longing. Covid reminds us, that of all the things we try to keep the same, the Most important may be : God is in control. Our humanity is not.
Ash Wednesday this year is the same as every year, but different. If you cannot receive ashes, create your symbol of those ashes. A Memento Mori. You could wear black. Wear a black ribbon. Hold your Crucifix at the moment ashes are distributed to the people. Hold the Palms from previous years and imagine them as ashes next year. Gaze at the wood of the cross. Make a cross on your forehead during the blessing. Trace a cross on the forehead of your family and say the words "remember that you are dust, and to the dust you will return."
The Symbols of our faith are powerful reminders of the promises of Christ. But they are not Christ. He himself is present in the hearts of those praying with dear love and devotion during these times of fasting. And we are fasting. And Giving. And Praying. And Longing. The Fasting and Praying for this season requires a greater sacrifice than giving up the extra coffee drinks or social media time -it does in fact - require a sacrifice that causes some sort of action. It should make you notice something is missing. Missing, but, surrounded in prayerful hope. The Hope in Action that only you and God can see.
This Ash Wednesday remember that you are Dust. But also remember that after this long season of longing IS a season of Joy.
Mend our Hearts, Lord.
