Ash Wednesday - Welcome to Life

(Thank you Fr Karsh for inspiration)

In Genesis we hear how God formed humans from the dust of the ground and breathed into their nostrils the breath of life and they became living beings. The first person’s name was Adam and in the Hebrew language, Adam is the word for dust.

We were meant to live forever with God. But something happened and things changed. That is why later in Genesis - God told Adam - Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.

On Ash Wednesday, we wear across of ashes to remind us that we are dust. These ashes remind us of our humanity and mortality. 

Why do people have to be reminded? Well, welcome to life.

Whether it’s fear, arrogance, pride, delusion, ignorance, denial, wounds and pain, the illusions of success and accomplishments, or a thousand other things, something happens. People forget their dustiness. They forget that they are dust and to dust they shall return. 

In forgetting their dustiness, people forget their mortality and human nature. The church in its wisdom gives us these ashes on Ash Wednesday to battle that fault. Ashes bring people back to reality.

Ashes on our forehead remind us that human life has limits, that it comes to an end, and that everyone dies. Pope Francis said, the imposition of ashes “reminds us of who we are.”

Ashes remind us that our lives are fragile and insignificant: we are dust, from dust we were created, and to dust we shall return. The ashes speak of the virtue of humility, of knowing human limits, of knowing fragility and mortality. 

The ashes speak of knowing we need God. 

Ashes remind us of our mortality, but why ashes in the sign of a cross? Why not a heart or our initials? Why a cross in ashes? 

The cross of ashes reminds us of several important things. 

First, it reminds us of human sin and that brokenness and injustice are a part of life. The cross reminds us that our innocent friend and savior Jesus was abused and tortured and executed. The cross reminds us that Jesus loved us—and is loving us still—even unto death.

The cross in ashes is the counterpart to the cross that was traced on our brow when we were baptized, when the words— “You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” 

So, the ashes in the shape of a cross is to remind us that the cross is not the last word—the resurrection lies beyond it. 

The cross in ashes reminds one of all these very important things but it also signifies that we are marked for discipleship. Marked to be servants of God—as Paul states in his letter to the Corinthians to live in such a way that others will experience the love of God—which is salvation—through them—through their knowledge, their patience, their kindness, their holiness of spirit, through genuine love, truthful speech. 

All of this, Paul says, comes about not by their own honor or good reputation or righteousness and power but by the power of God’s grace.

The cross in ashes on our for heads, reminds us, we are connected to each other. It Reminds us, we are connected to God. It reminds us of our humanity. It Reminds us, we are all made of dust.

The cross in ashes on our brows is the "yes" to the kind of Lent Jesus desires for each of us. He wants us to accompany him boldly, saying "no" to that which would slow our steps and saying "yes" to that which would fill our hearts and actions with love for him and others. 

The kind of Lent, the kind of life Jesus desires is the kind that prepares our hearts for a Savior who rises from the ashes of death and injustice to bring a new life of justice and joy. 

Our new life begins with the cross on our brows and the promises of God fulfilled in our lives by faith.

It’s Ash Wednesday. Welcome to life.