ASH WEDNESDAY
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,”
How those words,
remind me, tell me
of my mortality.
O dear Feast of Lent,
what I can accomplish
during your forty days
for immortality?
Surrender Your will,
my Master would say.
And learn of my way,
of obedience to the Father.
That is a hard task,
I thought.
How can a mortal
accomplish this?
By grace, dear child, my grace.
Grace I give you, each time
you say, ‘no’ to self,
and ‘yes’ to me.
Love your enemies,
do good to your persecutors,
give without reward.
Judge not and forgive.
This way you will be with me
in my darkest, darkest hours,
when sin does its worst
to rule the earth.
It put me to death,
High on the cross,
I had the last word.
I am the Saviour of all.
M.D.
What shall I do this Lent
Shall I forgo dainty foods?
Or will it be the television set?
No, says the Lord,
Neither of these is enough.
What then shall I do this Lent?
Shall I attend an extra Mass?
Or may be a bible study class?
No, says the Lord,
These too are not enough.
Oh, Lord, what shall I do this Lent?
Shall I endeavour to pray more?
Or visit the sick or poor?
No, says the Lord,
These are still not enough.
Lord, I surrender!
Ah, child that is the word
I have been waiting to hear,
Longing to hear
From your heart.
Surrender your will dear child,
Immerse yourself in My love,
Learn of that love,
That complete love,
That took Me to Calvary.
Linger awhile my dear child,
Lovingly gaze and gaze on me,
Till you know of My love,
That embraced all of mankind
To give him eternal life
Then go and keep your Lent
For good company you have,
Whatever you do this season,
Will be done in love for Me.
That is indeed enough.
M.D
Lord, you made me from clay,
often an unrecognisable shape.
I would have preferred a sculpture, not a potter
chiselling his stone to carve me.
No varying there!
Kyrie eleison,
But clay I am, and you are the potter
always willing to shape and reshape clay.
For the best results
you need appropriate ingredients.
Christe eleison,
These can only come through your grace.
Available from prayer and sacraments.
Kyrie eleison.
This Lent work metanoia on me
by turning: pride into humility,
anxiety into acceptance,
frugality into generosity,
criticism into praise,
coldness into warmth,
neglect into concern,
indifference into love,
grudges into joy,
ingratitude into thankfulness,
prayerlessness into devotion
at the foot of the cross.
Ecco Homo
Then Lord take the clay,
Begin the shaping in preparation
for the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Scala Caeli M.D.
