That was the title of a story I wrote for a Lenten issue of our children's magazine, My Friend, about a decade ago. In it, a little boy and his mom go to Church for ashes before school (public school) and all along the way to school, some people look at the two of them and gesture or say something to the effect of "excuse me, there's dirt on your forehead" or they point to their own foreheads and say something edifying about the Catholic faith.
Here in Chicago, not quite 50% of the foreheads seem to bear ashes. But that is better than in Italy. Here, people wear their ashes as a PSA, a public service announcement: "Hey, it's Lent!" And it is a wonderful opportunity for the less-than-practicing ones, the ones who only go to Church for special occasions, to (maybe this year) get back to a regular Church life. But in Italy, ashes get rubbed off before you hit the vestibule. I had a priest motion to me exactly the way I described in my kids' story, to indicate that I had ashes on my forehead. My reply, to the effect of, "Of course, it's Ash Wednesday," made no sense to him.
Any "dirt on your face" reactions today?
2 comments:
I got a big "Oh, you are Catholic!" from the receptionist (we're both new in the office).
As for PSAs, when I was very young, and working crazy hours in a hospital, I got to Mass each Sunday but didn't keep an eye on the calendar. I was half way through a burger at McDonalds when I looked up & saw a woman with ashes. I didn't take another bite but made a meal of french fries!
My two-year old son was at pre-school when I went to mass. When I picked him up, he said, "Oh look mama! What on your head?"
"Ashes," I told him.
"Aiden want ashed too."
I gave him some of mine and a proud grin spread across his face.
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