Ash Wednesday
A Divine Conflagration
Come
... let us know
this day:
transfiguration
in fire!
From the ashes of
penance let a conflagration
arise ... let it
rise up as incense
born on a deafening
wind by Angels to
the very Altar of
God —
from ashes, to fire,
through utter immolation!
Let this be our
holocaust to God
this day, the acceptable
sacrifice — the
conflagration of
the self, sealed
in the pledge of
ashes upon us, a
dark remembrance
of dust beneath
the breath of God
... that imbues
it with life; life
given to be surrendered
this day that it
may be transfigured
by being vanquished,
springing forth
as light from the
dark and ashen recesses
of sin. The surrender
that is the victory,
the unquenchable
fire of love that
is the aftermath
of ash! The dying
that brings life,
from the life that
brought us death.
Today ... today
shall be like no
other. We have gathered
to ourselves our
sorrow as dry sheaves
are gathered to
the fire. The world
this day shall be
pulled down behind
us! We will not
turn back nor grieve
its passing. Not
this day. We are
sealed. Sealed with
ash and set afire
with consuming love
that will leave
no dross and not
the smoldering of
an ember. We will
make our offering
to God, not in part,
nor by parcel, but
in a holocaust of
ourselves ... so
total, so consuming,
that its only pledge
can be ash ... and
so with ashes we
are sealed.
This day we behold
the end of all things
... that we may
one day see their
renewal in love,
by Him, behold!
, Who makes all
things new!
Pledge unto pledge.
Ash unto ash, Dust
unto dust. And it
is driven by the
breath of God ...
scattered into unrelenting
night only to uncover
the image within
that is the breathless
beauty of God Himself!
Oh, blessed ashes
of our creation!
... more blessed
ashes of our
re-creation
in nothing less
than God!
Seize this day!
It is a day of transfiguration
... in God!
Oh, holy day!
Editor
Boston Catholic
Journal
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us:
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