It has always been a slight confusion to me that on Ash Wednesday, the day of fasting, abstaining, seeking ways to go outside of ourselves towards the needy, yet we “blatantly” seem to show ourselves as good and noble Christians by marking our forehead with ashes to be seen by all!
This “public” aspect of Ash Wednesday can sound contradictory to what Jesus warns about in the gospel: “Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see.” I suspect that what Jesus was warning his listeners about is rarely our problem. I suspect the heart of what Jesus is warning us about is to help us to trust that God knows what we are doing, and that God will hear our desires. Doing anything that is religious to gain the approval, affirmation, praise of others is fairly empty and will ultimately twist us in very funny ways, as we all know.
Personally, I am so proud of people I see who are not afraid to have their ashes blatantly say, “I am a Catholic and I am grateful for that; and I want to live my life more attuned to Christ than ever.” It is very counter-cultural.
Wearing that cross of ashes says that I am not afraid to walk around in the world, perhaps for only an hour, with a sign that says I know my life on this earth is not “all there is.” I remember where I came from and where I’m going. It says that I believe in everlasting life. It says that I know who I am, and I want to choose to take advantage of the days ahead.
The symbolism and ritual of the ashes mark the beginning of a change of our normal patterns. They help us recognize how important the days ahead are for us. We say today that we want a deeper relationship with God during the next six weeks of Lent.
– Fr. Christopher Nguyen, SJ