Remember That You Are Dust

A friend writes in response to my exegesis of the Ash Wednesday liturgy, The Dust of Adam , which I should have posted but forgot: “It was a good supplement to the decidedly less bracing version of the rite I received last night: ‘Repent and be faithful to the gospel’.”

That’s what we got at my parish as well. The priest said “Repent!” in a direct and imperative way, but it was still a little disappointing to get the (pointlessly) updated version, when the updating does not translate but denatures it. It’s like getting grape juice instead of burgundy — not bad, of course, but much less rich and complex than the grown-up option.

On a related matter: though we’re now almost two weeks into Lent, you can still begin practicing the old and fruitful discipline of giving something up for Lent, as I urge in Just Give It Up . Better late than never. It really is a very good thing to do.