I asked my son what he knew about love yesterday and he said, 'love destroys death'. Nice. Ash Wednesday is the evidence and recognition that love destroys death... people wear the ashes as a symbol of repentance and forgiveness and of ownership - we serve a new master now. Jesus through his perfect love made a way out of our selfish condition... and we can live. So we repent, we mourn the sacrificial death of Christ all the while we are celebrating... all our actions are in light of the cross... all the remembering is done knowing deep down that love destroys death. So, my son will celebrate Ash Wednesday today at his catholic school - and so will I. I will celebrate knowing that my sins are forgiven, that love has saved the day - that repentance is really a surrender to the ownership of God. And although it is a day of mourning, I will still rejoice because I know a bit about love too.
1 comment:
I can't remember where, but I know C.S. Lewis has referred to Jesus as 'the Deathslayer.'
I hope to learn more about sharing in His suffering too, out of love, but I was concerned this last week when I was trying to decide what to give up for Lent. I hope the next forty days for me proves that I understand sharing in Christ's sufferings means more than giving up sweets.
Your son rocks.
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