Ash Wednesday: Mary Marvin Walter

I must admit to being perplexed by this Ash Wednesday passage. We read it every year during the Ash Wednesday service where, in addition to Eucharist, we have ashes imposed on our foreheads. The imposition of ashes seems to be an action diametrically opposed to the guidance of this Gospel and I have always struggled to align the action with the words. This year I have had an opportunity to delve deeper into the text as I have prepared my Lenten Meditation.

The passage, for me, is about the awareness, intention and focus of my life and my relationship with God. It says that I must be mindful of what I am doing, to understand why I chose to do what I do and to be aware of the motivation at the center of my actions. It forces me to ask myself these questions:

• Exactly how am I living my life?
• Is how I am living my life respectful of my relationship with God?
• Why am I doing what I choose to do?
• What do I hope to gain by my actions?
• Is God the center of my actions or am I more concerned with what those around me see and think?
• How am I using God as my true north as I go about my daily business?
• What is important to me? Really important? How do I know?

When I ask these questions then God becomes more central to my everyday life. Lent offers me the opportunity to become more aware, intentional and focused on my relationship with God.

Lent is a time for reflection and insight.

Lent is a time for me to heighten my awareness of how I inwardly relate to God in my outward living – without fanfare but with knowingness.

Lent is a time for me to examine the focus of my life and quietly correct my course so that I really am storing my treasures in heaven.

Lent is a time for me to become more God centered in more of my endeavors.

Lent is a time to get started on tuning up my relationship with God.

Lent is only the beginning – for if my relationship with God is my center, then everything else will be taken care of – and I must continually be examining that relationship.

May we all have a Lent in which we explore and quietly tune up our relationship with God. In short, may we all have a HOLY LENT.

Mary Marvin Walter