03.05.2025 | Ash Wednesday

It is cold, windy and wet out in the Carondelet Garden on this Ash Wednesday morning.  A very light, wet snow is falling softly out the window and will probably stick around most of the day.  Temperatures are expected to hold steady in the mid-30s.  Hope is on the horizon and the weather should break later this week and next week looks incredible!

Today is Ash Wednesday.  Ash Wednesday calls us back to ancient traditions, where ashes touch our foreheads, whispering of our origins—dust formed by God's hands. The priest's words echo: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." These ashes, laden with meaning, mourn our separation from God and remind us of the fragility of life.

In the stillness of this sacred day, Psalm 51:17 resonates: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." These words invite us to explore the state of our hearts, our worship, and our connection to the Divine.

Our culture shuns brokenness, masking it with strength and composure. Yet, a broken spirit is not despair, it is humility, an offering of vulnerability. In seasons of trial and repentance, we find a promise: God welcomes our brokenness. He gathers the fragments of our hearts, crafting wholeness with His mercy.

Let us not fear our brokenness but embrace it as sacred ground. Here, our Creator meets us, transforms us, and makes His grace shine through us, drawing us closer to our Creator and illuminating His love for the world. Amen.