From ashes to ashes … on living a life daily

“Cross of ashes” by  Jennifer Balaska

Today is Ash Wednesday, and in the Christian tradition it follows “Fat Tuesday” when some of us stuff ourselves in preparation for a day of fasting. Locally, we do pancake suppers at the church in preparation for the next day. They are, of course, all you can eat suppers.

Years ago, when I was more of a Christian and practicing as either a Presbyterian, and later as a Catholic I would actually fast on Ash Wednesday. It wouldn’t hurt for me to do that now for sure. I used to give up for Lent one of my bad habits. In years past, it could have been smoking my pipe or alcohol or chocolate. I did this, as they say in the South “religiously” and continued the tradition well into my thirties.

Sadly, these days I don’t follow that tradition not for lack of faith but for lack of commitment. As I have grown older, I have realized that my days are numbered. I suppose we all realize that at some point, maybe in my case around 50, I recognized that I was finally on the downhill of this life.

Somewhere along the line as I watched my friends, brothers and sisters and family members pass over I saw too many of them do so not by “sliding with joy into the grave” but just slipping away. Too many of them, I saw grasp to capture some of the things they never did, or return to the things they gave up for whatever reasons hoping, I suspect, to capture just a little more joy.

Remember that old adage that a man will never wish he had spent more time at the office on his death bed? Many of my friends and family spent all their lives delaying their gratification thinking wrongly they had a little more time.

Recently, an acquaintance and well-known chef here at the island died unexpectedly at age 39. He was a gregarious fellow that everyone liked. A man who, with his friend and partner, had taken a small café and turned it into a great restaurant and had just recently opened another establishment.

Even those of us who didn’t know him as well as others miss him. He was the personification of what we would all like to be in our 30s moving toward 40. He was a happy fellow and I suspect when he entered Heaven he was met by a beaming and smiling Jesus, who welcomed him with open arms.

For us, it was a sad occasion. One of those times when we simply wished there was a different outcome and the news of his death bogus. However, from everything I have heard he lived each day to the fullest. I know that each time I saw him and we spoke and engaged in light conversation he never rushed me through the encounter. He was one of those guys we meet and are grateful for having done so. He made our lives for each encounter with him, no matter how short more enjoyable. He didn’t delay any of this world’s gratification. Maybe, he intrinsically knew his time was short.

So, I have over the years come to the realization that all our lives are numbered and none of us know when that number is up. Perhaps, to demonstrate my religiousness I should fast and give up one of my pleasures but somewhere along the line I changed that approach.

As a Christian, as opposed to being a Muslim or other ism, I am grateful that God sent his Son to Earth to die for our sins that we might be reborn. I equally am thankful for each day no, actually for each minute of each day. So, I went to the church pancake supper and I enjoyed the experience and tomorrow on Ash Wednesday I will recall the meaning of the tradition.

From Wikipedia, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Christian faith. It occurs 46 days (40 fasting days, if the 6 Sundays, which are not days of fast, are excluded) before Easter and can fall as early as 4 February or as late as 10 March.

It is observed by many Western Christians, including Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Anglicans, and Presbyterians.

According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan.

Lent originated as a mirroring of this, fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter. Every Sunday was seen as a commemoration of the Sunday of Christ’s resurrection and so as a feast day on which fasting was inappropriate. Accordingly, Christians fasted from Monday to Saturday (6 days) during 6 weeks and from Wednesday to Saturday (4 days) in the preceding week, thus making up the number of 40 days.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year’s Palm Sunday, and placing them on the heads of participants to the accompaniment of the words “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”.