Ashes have always been used to show repentance as well as grief. When confronted by God for his insistence that he had not offended the Lord, Job repents in dust and ashes. Early Christians continued the practice of using ashes as the sign of repentance. The early church historian Eusebius tells of an apostate covering himself in ashes begging to be admitted to communion.
Although sprinkling the forehead with ashes was done for centuries before, the practice of receiving the sign of the cross did not become official until 1091 with Pope Urban II. In our modern day America, what does a season of repentance mean?
More than an acknowledgement of our individual failings, it should also be a recognition of our societal sins of not caring enough for the hungry and homeless, our exploitation of our environment, even our reluctance to take on those who hold power. The story of Satan’s temptations included more than individual desires.
Prayer for the Day
Merciful God, fearful of what we may learn about ourselves,
We confess that we are afraid to enter the wilderness of our souls;
Open us beyond the despair of doubt and the weakness of will,
Preventing us from proclaiming your justice to the world.
Expand our vision us beyond our preoccupation with self,
Holding us fast, O God, to live what we say we believe.
In the name of the One who did not compromise with evil,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
These are two things: sin and repentance. Sin is a wound; repentance is a medicine. Just as there are for the body wounds and medicines, so for the soul are sins and repentance.
- John Chrysostom, theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople (347-407)
It is quite gratifying to feel guilty if you haven’t done anything wrong: How noble! Whereas it is rather hard and certainly depressing to admit guilt and repent.
- Hannah Arendt, from Eichmann in Jerusalem (1906-1975)
A pure heart, create for me, O God, and a firm spirit renew within me,
Do not fling me from Your presence, and Your holy spirit take not from me.
Give me back the gladness of your rescue, and with a noble spirit sustain me,
Let me teach transgressors Your ways, and offenders will come back to You.
Psalm 51: 12-15 (Trans. Robert Alter)