source"Yeah, Mass was good. 'Cept when Father sneezed just as he was going to give me ashes."
I like Ash Wednesday - it's sobering to hear the words "Remember man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return". To some, mainly those who are weak in their faith, it sounds moribund. To others, it can be a startling wake-up call. I imagine that progressives loathe it because it's not PC, but the words "Remember, human, that thou art dust..." have a hollow meaningless sound to them.
It's good to be reminded that life as we know it is not permanent, that our existence here is contained by its mortality. At times, when circumstances are difficult and situations are dire, there is solace in knowing that "this too shall pass", and not only in a literal temporary sense, from a movement out of sadness to joy, despair to elation, or illness to health. "This too shall pass" foretells of our eternal existence. For many, the circumstances and situations never improve - but by remaining close to the Lord, uniting our suffering with His, knowing that His suffering wasn't permanent either, and that He's endured far worse than anything we endure, He will shower us with the grace necessary to persevere.
And when life is on Easy Street, where there's gold at the end of every rainbow and chickens in every pot, it's good to remember that these blessings are temporary. Not in the sense where it's "Eat drink and be merry, because tomorrow it's all going to Hell in a hand basket". No, more along the lines of showing gratitude to God for his blessings, and being thankful for all the good fortune that befalls us. Experience has shown that even in these circumstances, the axiom "this too shall pass" is equally true, and oftentimes, change occurs much more quickly when things are going well than when they are not. But that's probably because it's tougher to be patient when times are rough, and it's easy to take for granted when times are smooth.
St Augustine wrote: "Our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in thee." It's a truth that's imprinted our our souls. The things of this Earth may be passing away, but the ashes on our foreheads remind us that we weren't created to be part of that passage. We're along for the ride, but our destination is eternity.
