Luceat!

This day, Ash Wednesday, creates one of the greatest and most absurd social phenomenons of our age. On this random Wednesday, people who are obsessed with cleanliness, efficiency, and ambiguous moral identification on every other day of the week suddenly e-mail, call, and accost the missionaries on campus to find out how they can “get some ashes.” They wouldn’t identify themselves as Christians in a class, in their friendships, or in the general way they comport themselves. But on this rare day, they get an incredible urge to get burnt palm fronds smudged into their foreheads. Is this another proof that Christianity promotes insanity? I propose that it is not.

Americans, and especially our young people, have an unquenched thirst for symbol and ritual. They know that there is a meaning behind these ancient rites and a mystery. Our culture today is largely plastic, bold, pre-packaged, and shallow. What happened to dusty old volumes full of ancient wisdom, wines with a subtle bouquet developed over hundreds of years of family tradition, and rituals too old to trace the roots? These are examples (if inadequate) of “layered things,” objects that have a seemingly endless path back into history with stories and truths at every turn on the long time line back. I think people miss a world full of these “layered things,” and I think they yearn to have “layered lives.” I’m not speaking of complication, but of depth.

Catholic culture and religion is full of “layered things.” However, the Sacraments and the sacramentals of the Church are
“layered” in a different way, because the supernatural touches the natural and creates layers that are unseen but contain much power. For instance, look at the tradition of ashes. The history of ashes (or dust) as a sign of penance extends back into the pages of Jewish history. Early Christians adopted this Jewish ritual and imagery in their own expression of repentance. Subsequently, the practice of distributing ashes to all the faithful can be traced as far back as the Middle Ages. And the Catholic Church and several of the more formal Protestant communities have continued the tradition to this day. Yet, this custom is not merely a penitential act or an identifying mark. The outward sign indicates and helps to effect the inward reality. The recipient is humble enough to receive the ashes, and often, his humility is reinforced by the exterior sign remaining with him throughout the day, as a reminder that this man views Lent as a period of penance and preparation. Thus, the sign of humility helps provide an opportunity for humility. In addition, as the priest says, “Remember man you are dust and to dust you shall return,” we are reminded of our humble origins and our place as creatures, indebted to a loving Creator who bestowed the gift of life on us. That’s some powerful dirt!

I challenge you, during this Lenten season, to discover the “layers” behind the rituals and traditions of the Church. I think you will begin to see how participating in these rich and grace-filled sacraments will begin to enrich and deepen your own life. Allow the supernatural to penetrate the natural, daily routine of your existence, and then you will truly begin to live.