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| Corajisima at the Casa della Cultura in Palmi, Calabria (Photo courtesy of Calabria: The Other Italy) |
Remember man that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the period preceding Easter devoted to fasting, abstinence and penitence in memory of the forty days Our Lord Jesus Christ spent in the wilderness. A day for contemplating our mortality, crosses are ceremonially drawn on the forehead with blessed ashes made from the burned palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. The ashes remind us that life is fleeting and that we need to repent and turn our hearts towards God. In celebration, I’m posting A Prayer for Ash Wednesday.
The accompanying photo of Corajisima, the mourning wife of Carnevale, is a traditional Southern Italian rag doll personifying abstinence during the Lenten season. She holds a spindle and distaff, which represents the passing of time during the 40 days of penitence. Beneath her hangs a lemon (sometimes an orange, potato or onion) with seven feathers stuck in it. Each Sunday a feather is removed, counting down the weeks. The final feather is plucked on Easter, signaling the arrival of spring and the Resurrection.
A Prayer for Ash Wednesday
Gracious God, today begins a period of inner reflection and examination. The days stretch before me and invite me inward to that silent, holy space that holds your Spirit. This special time beckons me to see my life through Christ's eyes and the truth and reality of your love incarnate. Give me the grace to enter the space of these days with anticipation of our meeting. And, when I open my soul to your presence, let your loving kindness flow over me and seep into the pockets of my heart. I ask this for the sake of your love.
