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

Ash Wednesday serves as a reminder that we are only of this world for a brief moment in time. We will all meet our fate and eternal destiny at some point.

While thinking about our own mortality is scary and troubling (seriously, it keeps me up way late at night sometimes with worry and fear), it is a necessity.

We have to think about our death because our death will bring us to our new and eternal life in Heaven.

When we begin to ponder life, death, and salvation we come to realize how truly weak and unworthy we are.

No matter how hard I try, I still sin every day. No matter how much I desire to get to Heaven, I still put things of this world before my relationship with Jesus Christ. No matter how badly I want to be a real, true Christian, I still find myself denying Christ for the sake of personal gain.

Without repentance, I might continue down these broken roads.

We should indeed examine our consciences daily (multiple times!), but Ash Wednesday is one of those “in your face” kind of examinations of conscience. We receive ashes on our forehead as a sign of both our mortality and our sin.  We wear the ashes with humility.

We are human and we sin. We are not perfect, and the Lord knows it.

The Good News is that we can be forgiven and we have a home in Heaven. But we must develop a relationship with Jesus (prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are some good ways to begin), try harder with each new day to live out (and teach) our faith, turn away from our sins, and seek penance when we fail.

Yes, we will still fail. We will still sin. It is in our nature. But the Lord knows our heart.

Prayers for you during this Lenten season. I hope that you experience the peace that comes with intense prayer, fasting, and giving to those less fortunate.

Life happens when we turn away from sin and toward the gospel. You should hear those words if you attend Mass today. 

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If you are looking for other Catholic posts about Ash Wednesday, head over to CatholicBlogDay.org.

Photo Source: “Biblical Evidence For Catholicism”

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