I remember back when I was in high school how I dreaded getting ashes on my forehead on Ash Wednesday... I guess you could say I was a bit vain back then. I was so worried about how other people, especially the cute boys I would pass by, would think when they looked and saw a huge black spot on my forehead. I worried more about if people would point and laugh or just think I was totally weird for not caring if I had dirt on me as I walked around the day. I remember as soon as Mass was over the first thing I would do was look in a mirror and clean my face off. It was my pride I was wanting to protect, that and my looks. Even today, I can be a little vain at times with myself, but I no longer go and rub off the ashes as soon as Mass lets out. I now where them with pride.
Tonight at Mass Fr. Don talked about how he enjoyed to go out on Ash Wednesday and watch people watch other people. He enjoyed watching the ones with ashes on their foreheads as they looked for other people with that same sign on them, and when they saw the dirt on another person the look they gave each other was one of silent solidarity. They had the same understanding of the symbolism of wearing ashes....
Just today I went out to grab a small fish sandwich at Wendy's. It cracked me up because of the ten or so people in line for lunch a good half of them had ashes on their forehead. At one point the cashier would look for ashes and assume the ones with them were ordering a fish combo meal. When I got to the cash register and ordered a fish sandwich the cashier looked up towards my forehead, I assume, to see if I had ashes on mine too. I did not at the time, but would not have minded if I had them there or not. As some of us were waiting for our orders I joked saying that I would look more like them after I go to Mass tonight.
As I have grown older I have come to appreciate the tradition of putting ashes on my forehead. I do have to say that it cracks me up how many people come to Mass on Ash Wednesday even though it is not a Holy Day of Obligation. Tonight felt almost like Easter with every seat in the church taken and even more people standing in the back and by the pews in the church. It was very cool to be a part of the congregation this evening.
1 comment:
Great post! Thanks for sharing it!!
You know, ashes as a sign of solidarity is oftentimes not something we consider enough. I spent the whole day thinking about how ashes remind us of our place in the world: ash, but who hope and strive to share in the resurrection of the Lord more fully every day.
It occurs to me that ashes symbolize that we are in that hope and endeavor together. We are all sinners who together hope to rise with the Lord.
Mike
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