Today as we begin the season of Lent, a rather lowly substance comes into prominence, i.e. ashes, and the Church even calls today Ash Wednesday.
The ashes that will be sprinkled on our heads later are made from palm branches blessed on Palm Sunday.
The ashes have no value whatsoever. They can’t be used for any purposes.
As its name indicates, it is broken down to its least and humblest form.
Yet, this almost useless substance is used by the Church to be a sign of our repentance, and also to remind us of our mortality and frailty.
No matter who we are, how strong we are, how much we have achieved, we will all eventually turn to dust and ashes.
That is the reality as well as our finality in this world.
But the ashes also remind us of who is our Creator. God created us from the dust of the earth and today we are reminded to be as humble as these ashes.
As Jesus reminds us in the gospel, whatever we do, even our spiritual works, are of no merit if it is done for self-gain.
God looks at our hearts. We can only offer Him the ashes of our humble deeds.
But God will raise us from the ash heap and then we will realise, we must realise, that we must live our lives humbly and to do everything simply for the glory of God.
And God will reward us. In fact He will be our reward.
May we not desire for the things of this world for all things will pass.
May we desire only for God, and He will be our eternal reward.