Ash Wednesday

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Genesis 3:19

Meditation

The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, a day of prayer and fasting. It is a day to remember that each of us – the greatest and the least, the rich and the poor, young and old, male and female, every race, every ethnic group, and every social class – is made from the stuff of the earth. Eventually, our bodies will return to the stuff of the earth. In that sense, we are equal, and that realization is cause for humility – before God and before humankind.

The traditional Ash Wednesday worship service closes with the imposition of ashes on the foreheads or hands of attendees. The ash mixture contains olive oil mixed with the burned remains of the palms used during the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. The palms-turned-to-ashes remind us that our joys and our sorrows belong together – they are two manifestations of the same experience. Where ashes normally represent death and sorrow, these ashes are the remains of a celebration. Contained within each of us is joy and sorrow, life and death.

Spiritual discipline

Attend an Ash Wednesday worship service. Have the ashes imposed on your forehead or hand. When you arrive home, find a quiet place and dedicate 10 minutes to reflect on the significance of having this visible sign of torture and death imposed on you. Close your eyes. What do you see? What are you feeling? How will you walk with Jesus on this journey to the cross?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, as I begin this Lenten journey to the cross with you, remind me to approach this time with a humble heart and an open mind. Dust to dust, and ashes to ashes; I commit my life to your love and care. Amen.

This is the 3^rd in a daily series titled The Stations of the Cross that will run through Easter 2026, at which time I will return to my weekly Life Notes. Life Notes are my explorations into mysteries that interest me. They are invitations for readers to explore more deeply into life’s mysteries. Engage with me or explore contemplative spiritual direction at ghildenbrand@outlook.com.