It's Ash Wednesday, and I don't know why, but the idea of doing this blog came to me out of the blue today. I know many of my friends don't understand Catholics and why we do the "crazy" things that we do. Sadly, I've never really been the best at explaining why. Like many other Catholics of my generation (and perhaps many past) I do things because I always have and with little questions regarding the "whys".
A perfect example is receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday. Why do you Catholics do that? Well, as we were reminded in mass this morning it is a reminder that we are mortal, and to ashes we all shall return. So where do the ashes come from? The palms from the previous Palm Sunday mass are turned to ashes, are blessed and exposed to incense. Usually the priest says, "You are dust and to dust you shall return" or something along those lines. Today, the priest said something different, but my memory tends to forget these things the moment they've passed. Regardless of what the priest says the message remains the same.
Being reminded of our mortality reminds us not only to "Live life to the fullest" but to remember that none of us knows when the day will come that brings us to meet our Lord and when we will be called upon to answer for how we've lived our lives, so be sure you are living today in a way that you will be able to say tomorrow "I have done my best".
