Ash Wednesday. This beautiful, bright-eyed little girl is in Kenya. I found her at Tim's blog. It's been 2 years since he posted this, I noticed, so I left a comment hoping he'll return to blogging. This endearing smile just melted my heart. Such pure JOY lights up her face. Innocent, pure, the faith of a child. That is what we need, what I need this Lent. I pray to become "younger" over the next 40 days, younger that is in my faith, as I continue to become older in years. "Remember you are but dust to to dust you shall return." Those words are powerful. No one wants to think about them in this day and age of materialism, consumerism, and the constant craving for instant gratification. It is too sobering, too morbid and depressing for some to think about those words. So they continue to ignore the inevitable, the certainty of death. Yet those painful words can bring you JOY and give you Life, if you let them.
Right now, Americans are holding out their hands, begging for "stuff" from Government and the President they voted for, hoping that he will get them out of their problems. Hoping 'he' will get them back to work, and put cash back in their wallets and bank accounts and food on their table, gas in their car, etc. They're trusting, like children, in government and particularly in this one man, a man who's only human, and a man that cannot "IN THE END" help them. Many might disdain faith, and even to talk about religion or faith some might find "old fashioned." Yet, here they are, IN FAITH, reaching and holding out their hands to Mr. Obama. Hmm.
The "end" isn't losing a house, or a job, but your very soul. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, (job, house, car, money, fortune, fame, you name it) and still lose his or her soul? In the blink of an eye we can lose everything...but if we have the faith, and trust of a child, and we turn to Christ now, during this time of Divine Mercy, we will gain HEAVEN and life eternal, happiness unending.
There's only one thing that we have that is our own,and that is our will. With it, we choose life or death. With our will we choose heaven or hell. So when I receive the ashes on my forehead today, I pray to become like this little dear above, I pray to become a child, that childlike faith will continue to grow in my soul, and will lead me to make choices for my good, to become a saint, to reach and attain my goal, Heaven. We are all dust, and we will return to dust, but where we go after that is up to us. You can't take any possession with you into eternity, only your soul. Get to reconciliation this Lent, and get right with your Father God. He loves you, and is calling you Home. Go to Mass. Get those ashes and give thanks to God for His Son, our Savior.
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