Wednesday, February 6, 2008

I've been marked.

Today is Ash Wednesday. Around where I live, it's pretty much a big enough deal that churches are full and just about everyone (except the tourists and a few others) walks around the streets with ashes on their foreheads. I guess I'm still pretty naive when it comes to other Christian faiths because in my own little world, I thought Catholics were the only ones who received ashes. I always figured like with a lot of things the Protestants "reformed" , ashes on Ash Wednesday was one of the things they got rid of but apparently that's not the case, as other faiths do it too. Growing up in Northern New Mexico most everyone I knew was Catholic, so they all got ashes, gave up something for Lent and didn't eat meat on Fridays or Ash Wednesday. That's my norm but the world is a whole lot bigger than my little piece of it.

I was in a funk for some unknown reason-- I suspect I do know why-- but I'll get over it. I almost didn't go to Mass today or get ashes. I just felt like going home. Fortunately, I did, it truly helped my mind, body, spirit. The church was packed-- which of course-- as the Monsignor said, was nice, but quite unusual. Oh yeah, it was Ash Wednesday, that's why. It was a nice Mass, his homily was quite poignant and I think gave a lot of people pause today. This Lent I really do want to take the time to reflect on my faith, what I can do to find myself closer to God, open to what's to come and maybe I'll learn something as well.

I really don't have much else to say, as I'm exhausted. I stayed up way too late watching the election results. Wild happenings in the political arena, huh? Perhaps after having time to decompress, I might add something else. I'm still trying to write up my Christmas Eve post. I did, however, find a post by Matt at the Shrine of the Holy Whapping that really made a lot of sense. And then Andrew Sullivan posted A Prayer for Ash Wednesday by Thomas Merton that, too made a lot of sense.

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