Nice Ash

Try saying that five times, fast.  Anyway, happy?! Ash Wednesday to you.  Today is the day that lent begins for most Christians (the eastern Orthodox have already begun, that filioque will get you everytime).  Lent is a time to "turn back" or repoint and refocus ourselves on why we are here and where we are going.

Ashes are placed in the shape of a cross on the believers forehead to signify and help us remember that we have all come from dust and we will all return to dust one day, so I guess "happy" isnt a really good descriptor of the day.  The placement of ashes really has its roots in the old testament and in Jewish culture.  Ash is taken on during a time of mourning or repentance, again lets nix the "happy".  Even though this isnt a happy time its not a sad time either.  At its core, lent is about what really matters, LOVE.

Lent is about taking time to refocus on God's ubiquitous and incomprehensible love for us and return it through alms giving (being charitable), fasting (being penitent), and praying (praying).  Quite often people give something up for lent in a spirit of penance.  At a young age I heard a homily which has changed the way I have lived lent over the past 15 years.  The priest proffered the idea to give up something that we could never get back, something that is so precious, so valuable, and so worthy.  Right now you might be thinking just as I did about what is so important and right now thoughts of money, food, pant-suits, or handy-snacks - red plastic cheese spatula and all are floating through your head.  Well my friend those are all good, but what's most precious is TIME.

We can give our time to so many things like work, which is good, school, which is good, TV, not so much, or the needy, lonely, and poor.  We can give our time, which we will never get back, through extra prayer, volunteering, or possibly spending more time around those whom we love.

We are reminded that we exist in time through the ashes on our foreheads because it is a representation of where we came from and where we are going.  Love is here with us in time but once we return to dust, we move to eternity where there is no time.  The question this lent is how will we spend our time now so that we can ensure how we will spend our eternity.

I freakn love lent!!!  God bless you all.