This particular vanity was no more evident than in my feelings about Ash Wednesday. I always wanted to go and have ashes, even though it is not a holy day. But, once the priests started having lay assistants I noticed huge differences in the amount of ashes one might receive. Some of those inexperienced lay ministers laid the ashes on a little thick.
And while I came from dust and to dust I will return, I really didn't want to look that dusty, even just at Mass, before my time came. So I would watch and try to go to the minister who did the best ash placement. Usually that was the priest because they had the most experience and maybe a class in seminary where they learned how to put the ashes on correctly. At least they had a lot of practice.
I reflected on that this Lent. I have reached a new level of spirituality or perhaps (I hope) let go of some vanity, because I found myself laughing at my old self who cared about such things. This year I went to a lay minister who dropped ashes all down my nose and really marked my forehead well.
1 comment:
Mary,
How funny! My priest always lays them on really thick, and really big, too. This year, I went to the Deacon who covered my forehead with ash. I thought no one could be as bad til I saw my husband, who had our priest at 6:30 am, with a huge, really dark mark still standing strong when he came home from work at 6 pm.
Then again, both this priest and deacon have really hands-on forms of their spirituality. You should see the water splatter on the altar server in the hand washing at mass! Though, that's part of what I love most about him. Especially when he lays hands on me in blessing or in absolution.
Have a great day!
Jen
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