“For dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19).
When we go to Mass on Wednesday and enter into the season of Lent, we will hear the priest say these words as he traces the sign of the cross on our foreheads with ashes. I know it might sound a little strange, but I find the words kind of comforting.
Before you call me crazy for thinking my impending death and decay is a comforting thought, hear me out.
We all die. The richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor. The worst of the sinners and the greatest of the saints. Which means my small, petty, material worries—the way I look, how successful I am, if I can save enough for my future, if I will ever find a spouse, etc.—really don’t matter in the grand scheme of life because all of it will turn to dust anyways. But my soul? Yeah, that thing is around for eternity, either in heaven or hell, so better take darn good care of it.
The Ash Wednesday reminder that my body is temporary but my soul is forever points me back to the reality of what my life should be truly working toward: Heaven. It’s the perfect way to start the forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that characterize Lent.
The time of sacrifice leading up to Christ’s Passion, death, and Resurrection, allows us to dive deep into our interior lives and peel back our layers one by one until we are completely naked. Until all that’s left is our soul in front of Christ on the cross on Good Friday. Looking up at Him, all we will have to give Him is ourselves. It’s insufficient, but that’s all He wants. He doesn’t want the fluff, lavish gifts, or perfect and pious prayers. Just our humble humanity with Him at the Cross.
As we enter the Lenten season this week, I’d like to challenge you to pick a strategic way to dig into the layers of your heart over the next forty days. What earthly worries, material concerns, and fleeting pleasures occupy your thoughts and steal your time from the true Lover of your soul? Maybe try one of these suggestions, or perhaps even do a progressive Lenten journey—adding another small task or sacrifice each week of Lent to purify your soul even further.
Whatever you choose, make it personal. Peel back the layers so you can truly live the Passion, death, and Resurrection with Our Lord. Give Him yourself this Lenten season. The best. The worst. The mediocre. The normal. He wants it all. He just wants you.
From the depths of my soul,
Additional Resources:
- Ash Wednesday readings
- Ash Wednesday: What’s the deal with ashes?
- Lent: Suggestions for Making a Lent Plan
