Trifecta

Today is Ash Wednesday.   I am posting this early in the morning, not because I have firmed up my Lenten vows, but because I am thinking I have another day ahead of me that is so chaotic and back-to-back busy that I will not have another moment until very, very late in the day after I return from Ash Wednesday Mass this evening.  And, I know then I will be so bushed that I cannot guarantee even the minimal standard I try to uphold now. 

But, what I wanted to mention is that every year at this time, I remember a comic that was published when I was a child in the Catholic Newspaper of my Diocese.   The comic artist took many different routes with his comics about the Faith.   I remember them well and fondly.  But, one was especially memorable to me.   One of his common themes was showing kids play acting out various parts of Mass and assuming many roles.  Often the punchlines were cute, but more often they were fun and/or poignant and insightful at the same time.  Well, this comic must have been published when I was perhaps ten or eleven years old and it was showing the kids re-enacting Ash Wednesday Mass.  And so there was one kid who assumed the role of "priest" and was distributing ashes to the "parishioners".  Well, because this was a comic of kids play acting, the young boy who was playing the priest, had his father's pipe in hand in order to obtain the ashes for placing the ashes in the sign of the cross on the "parishoner's" forehead.  

Of course, for me, not only was the comic cute, but the use of the pipe in that way also caught my attention.   I remember and think about that comic every year as we near Ash Wednesday. I even tried it a few times as a kid with a pipe of my Dad's that he had let sit and had not knocked out the ashes. 

And, even though I am unsure about whether this was good or not.... I do remember one time long ago when I was in graduate school and because of my research and proctoring load.... and admittedly I also think I got simply was damn forgetful and got the time wrong as well.... I MISSED getting to the late evening Ash Wednesday service one year.  I was very disappointed in myself but there wasn't anything I could do at that late time of the day.  So, I actually did give myself the Sign of the Cross on my forehead with ashes from my own pipe.  I know it was NOT the same as going to Mass, and I did not pretend it was.   But, by doing this, I did feel a little less hurt about my stupidity about missing Mass.  It was not a perfect solution... but it helped me a bit emotionally about missing.

Probably tomorrow, I will try to outline my Lenten goals.

PipeTobacco

PipeTobacco