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"Repent and Believe in the Gospel." |
On Ash Wednesday we enter Lent through the tradition of the sprinkling of ashes. In this act we are humbled in being reminded that "the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." (Gn 2: 7) and that "by the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." (Gn 3:19)
Ashes are an ancient form of mourning. We hear about people sitting in ashes or dust in several places in the Old Testament when they are in mourning. Usually it comes before a conversion of heart and and the visible sign of God's grace active in the lives of those in mourning.
We commonly mourn because of the death of others. Don't we also mourn when something happens in our lives and we feel a loss? Ash Wednesday invites us to mourn our sins and that cause the loss of God's love and grace when we turn away from Him. During Lent we are reminded that He is always there for us when we are ready to turn back toward him Love and Mercy.
Ashes are an ancient form of mourning. We hear about people sitting in ashes or dust in several places in the Old Testament when they are in mourning. Usually it comes before a conversion of heart and and the visible sign of God's grace active in the lives of those in mourning.
We commonly mourn because of the death of others. Don't we also mourn when something happens in our lives and we feel a loss? Ash Wednesday invites us to mourn our sins and that cause the loss of God's love and grace when we turn away from Him. During Lent we are reminded that He is always there for us when we are ready to turn back toward him Love and Mercy.