Last year, my friend Beth took her two kids, Ceileidh and Conor, to an afternoon mass on Ash Wednesday. They got their ashes put on their forehead. Then they sat back down in the pew.
Father Creedon’s sermon (Father Creedon is an amazing priest, a great speaker) was about faith and pride – that your faith should not be something you take pride in – that you should not want to SHOW your faith … that you should not be PROUD of the ashes on your forehead … You should approach your faith with humility. Without the need to show it off.
Lovely long impassioned sermon.
Beth and her kids listened in silence.
The sermon ended. The congregation, all ashed up, sat quietly, pondering the lesson.
And Conor then leaned over to Beth and whispered, “Mom, next year – can we go to the morning mass – so I can wear my ashes to school?”
My heart is full of Conor right now…
I love Conor. So funny. The sermon went right over his ashed-up forehead.
Ha!
Speaking of which – I have to go get some ashes myself this morning. I expect everyone to be duly impressed.
here is a little Beth story – My children all have four godparents. While my boys have godparents who are active in their lives, Chelsea (age 12) ended up with one dud. We were talking about it one night and Chels asked for a new godparent. I told her that while we could not re-enact her baptism with new characters, I thought it would be fine for her to ask someone special to consciously be an important person in her life. Without hesitation she said, “I want Beth”. That Beth is good stuff.
Bets-
I have tears in my eyes.
I have a very good godmother, as it so happens, but I wouldn’t mind having Beth as another one.
Chelsea knows the truth!!
(sniff) I am all ashed up AND teared up!!! I guess Conor takes after me more than I would like to admit- I went to 7am mass, and then to school. One of the staff members told me, all horrified- “You should wash your face!” to which another staffer replied, “Yeah, the kids will ask about it! You should really downplay it.” So, without a word, I swooped my bangs further apart, much like Martin Short on SNL (I must say..). Then I stared at them and left the staff lounge. point- match!!!