Ash Wednesday: Remember You Are Dust
Today we begin the holy season of Lent. As ashes are placed on our foreheads, we hear the ancient words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" or "Repent and believe in the Gospel."
These words may seem harsh, but they are profoundly liberating. They remind us of our mortality—that our time on earth is limited and precious. They call us to repentance—to turn away from sin and toward God. They point us to what truly matters—not the passing things of this world, but eternal life with God.
The ashes come from the burned palms of last year's Palm Sunday, connecting this day to the Passion of Christ. We wear them publicly as a sign of our need for God's mercy and our commitment to conversion.
The Three Pillars of Lent:
Prayer: Lent calls us to deepen our prayer life. This might mean adding a daily devotion, attending daily Mass, praying the Stations of the Cross, or simply spending more time in silence with God.
Fasting: We fast to discipline our bodies and create space for God. Today is a day of fasting (one full meal, two smaller meals) and abstinence from meat. But fasting can extend beyond food—consider fasting from social media, television, or other distractions.
Almsgiving: What we save through fasting, we give to the poor. Almsgiving opens our hearts to others and reminds us that our possessions are meant to be shared.
📖 Scripture
Joel 2:12-13 - "Yet even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments."
🙏 Prayer
Lord, as I begin this Lenten journey, I acknowledge my need for Your mercy. I am dust, but You have breathed into me the breath of life. Help me to use these forty days well—to pray more deeply, to fast more generously, to give more freely. Prepare my heart to celebrate the joy of Easter. Amen.