A Prayer for Ash Wednesday

A Prayer for Ash Wednesday Sickness is a powerful reminder of how vulnerable our bodies can be. And then there are the moments when we realize our souls and emotions are broken too—when we make mistakes, lose our temper, or treat those we love terribly. We’re right there with you. Seriously. Sometimes it feels like our days are filled more with what we get wrong than with what we get right. An ancient Christian leader named Benedict once wrote, “Keep death daily before your eyes.” As awkward as that sounds, it’s actually pretty helpful to remember where we come from and where we are going. And that’s what Ash Wednesday is all about. We were made out of dust. God shaped humans from clay, and then breathed into them the breath of life. And one day, because of the brokenness of the sin that has infiltrated our bodies, to dust we shall return.