Ash Wednesday

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today is different. Ash Wednesday.

In the ancient world, when the weight of sorrow or the guilt of a terrible mistake became too heavy to carry, they would grab the fabric of their shirts and tear them open, literally ripping their clothes apart, and then they would sit in a pile of dust and ashes.

Now, you might be thinking, ashes? Why would I want dirt on my face? It sounds strange in our modern world, where everything is about looking perfect on Instagram or having the newest sneakers. But this day asks us to stop pretending.

Let's look at the drama of where these ashes come from. They aren't just random dirt from the backyard. The source of this dust is actually a memory of a victory. The ashes used today are made by taking the palms from last year's Palm Sunday and burning them in a fire. Think about that. The green branches we waved to celebrate Jesus as King have dried out, withered, and been burned down to gray powder. It is a powerful symbol. It represents the mortality of all men, the fact that everything in this life eventually fades away.

If you go to church today, the priest will brush those burned ashes onto your forehead in the shape of a cross. As he does it, he says something that might send a shiver down your spine. He says, Remember, man, you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Or, he might give you a command, Repent and believe in the gospel. This ritual goes back centuries. It is found in some of the earliest missals, the ancient books of prayer used by the church. It is a sign of penance that has existed since biblical times. Thank goodness we don't rip our clothes anymore, and this is because the prophet Isaiah tells us that God is looking for something deeper than a ruined outfit. In the readings for this day, the Lord says, Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning, and rend your hearts and not your garments.

Rend means to tear. God wants us to tear open our hearts, not our shirts. He wants us to break open that hard shell we build around ourselves, the shell of pride or anger or selfishness, and let Him in.

This day marks the beginning of the solemn period of Lent. It is a time when we hit the pause button on the chaos of life. We prepare to commemorate Christ's sacrifice and His ultimate victory over death. The goal of today isn't to make you feel terrible. It's to help you turn in a different direction. We do this because, as Isaiah reminds us, God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. He isn't waiting to crush you. He is waiting to bless you.

He is ready to leave a blessing behind him for those who return. During Lent, we often focus on a concept called memento mori. It means the remembrance of our own coming death. That sounds scary, but it's actually a superpower. When you realize that life is short, that we are dust, you stop wasting time on things that don't matter. You focus on what is real.

Ultimately, Ash Wednesday serves as an opportunity to draw closer to the Lord day by day and year by year. We remember not just our own mortality, but the great sacrifice through which God proved His love for us. So, rend your heart in a small way. Identify one thing, just one, that is distracting you from being the person God wants you to be.

Maybe it's a grudge you're holding against a friend. Maybe it's the amount of time you spend on a screen ignoring your family. Then, do something physical to turn in a different direction. Maybe skip a favorite snack or dessert today. Not to lose weight, but to remind yourself that you need God more than food.

Or, take five minutes of total silence, no phone, no music, and simply say to God, I want to return to you with all my heart. Remember, you are dust, but you are dust that is loved by God. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.