It’s really fascinating that this is the busiest day of the year for the Church.  Not Christmas, not Easter but Ash Wednesday--Ashes.  This morning, we had about 300 people here at the 6:30 AM mass.  It was 14 degrees out.  The parking lot was pretty full with that many people.  I was thinking of all the people driving to work, passing our Church and saying, “What are those crazy Catholics doing this morning, in the middle of the week, in the dark, in the cold?”  You know, they’re probably saying the same thing right now. 

We’re here because it is Ash Wednesday.  It’s good that we’re here.  We should also be here for Christmas and Easter and every other Sunday.   What is it about Ash Wednesday? What is it about this very simple symbol of ashes?   When you’re blessed with these ashes, at the end of mass, you’ll hear one of two formulas.  The priest, deacon, or lay minister will say, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”  The other formula is “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.”

Ashes are a great symbol for us but not a new symbol.  Indeed, it was a symbol very familiar to the people of the Old Testament, to the Hebrew people and later to the Jewish people.  Ashes are an outward sign of an inward intention to change.  As you read the Bible and stories such as Minerva when Jonah the Prophet said, “You must repent.”  The king ordered everyone, including the animals, to put on sackcloth and be covered with ashes.  They didn’t just put a little mark on their foreheads.  These people did it the whole way.  They would wear this sackcloth that was similar to burlap, like what potatoes used to come in. They would not just mark themselves with ashes but they would take pounds of ashes and pour it on themselves.  Imagine what you would look like if you did that.  I don’t how they went back to work in the hospital or wherever.  The whole purpose, if you can imagine, was that they knew that they had messed up and they knew that God was not happy with them.  They wanted to show outwardly to God that they meant it this time.  “We are going to change. We're going to change.”  Imagine the mess that they looked like. They knew that God was looking down on them and they were saying, “Oh man, we’re a mess and we really mean it this time.”  Then, they would see God say, “Okay, I believe you.  I’ll give you another chance at this.”

That’s what you’re doing.  When you are marked with these ashes today, you’re saying “I’m a sinner and I intend to change.”  We’re all sinners and that’s understandable.  But we need to try to be better.  That’s what Lent is about.  It gives us a chance to be better.  So many of you probably already have some ideas about how you’ll do some extra penance.  The Scriptures tell us how:  by fasting, by alms giving, and by prayer.  This is a wonderful time to focus in on those three beautiful things.

“Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”  The other formula is: “Remember you are dust and to dust you will return.”   You’re going to die. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a former parishioner.  He’s from Rio Rancho, formerly from New York.  He called me and he wants me to do his funeral when he dies.  He’s not sick at the moment but he’s getting ready.  He’s in his eighties and he said, (heavy NY accent) “Hey Father, in the unfortunate event of my demise, I would like you to do the funeral thing there.”  He almost said it like, “If I die…” like, “maybe I won’t”.  Well, we’re going to die.  You are going to die.  I am going to die.  We need to think about that now and not just at that last moment of our life.  We don’t even know. We can’t assume that we’ll be in our eighties when we die.  If you read the obits everyday, there’s somebody twenty or thirty, right?  Do you read the obituaries?  It’s good to read the obits.  I call it the Irish sports page.  They’re just fascinated with death you know.  The old people read the obits and make sure they’re not in it.  That’s the main reason they read them.  I used to read the paper in bed before I got up.  If I was in the obits, then there was no sense getting up.  You know what I mean.  If you keep death before you, if I keep death before me, if I live every day like this is my last day then I’m going to be one holy man, right?  That’s the truth.  “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” and “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.”  It's good that we are here today. 

I'd like to give you some suggestions about this Lent:  You know we have daily mass here in the Church on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays at pretty convenient times.  If you can take a bulletin on your way out, check the times for mass and if you can, come to daily mass. I know you’d be blessed.  The rosary or the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy is a wonderful devotion to pray during Lent.  Our Chapel, I hope you all know where our Chapel is, it’s in the back and you can enter the Chapel from the outside door.  I realize that some of you are not parishioners here but that you work in Los Alamos and you’re at mass here today.  I would like you to understand that the Chapel is for your use.  Now there is a secret combination on the door.  It is 1- 3- 4.  Tell everybody.  Day or night, come and visit.  Spend time with the Blessed Sacrament in prayer and I know that you’ll be blessed. 

Don’t be discouraged during Lent.  You know, it’s ironic. A lot of times we make these resolutions and sometimes we fail.  I read an article just yesterday that said that maybe it’s more effective if you fail because you’re reminded that you’re weak, that you can’t do it by yourself and that you need Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  So, even if you fail, you win in Lent.  You’re reminded of who you are and who Christ is.  Don’t be discouraged.  The very fact that you’re present here means you’re telling God, “Look, I’m trying.” 

I might have told you this story before. When I was in Seminary, you could go down the hill from Mount Angel Seminary and there was a five-mile loop that I used to run.  That was 20 years and 20 pounds ago.  I used to pass this old priest who was a monk of the abbey and he was a grouch.  I’d say, “Good morning, Father” or “Good afternoon, Father” and he’d just grumble.  This one time, it was after Easter and I was really tired.  I was “churched out”.  I said, “Hello.”  He grumbled at me and I stopped.  I said, “This is it.”  I went back and I said, “Can I ask you a question?  How long have you been a monk in this abbey?”  He said, “60 years.”  “How long have you been a priest?”  He said, “50.”  I said, “Hasn’t done you much good.”  I said, “You know, you’re still a grouch.”  And then he liked me.  He was probably a New Yorker to.  He looked at me and he said, “Well, I’m not as good as I ought to be and I’m not as good as I’m going to be but I’m a lot better than I used to be.”  If you can say that, if everyone here can say, “I’m not as good as I ought to be.”  I think most of us, I hope most of us can say, “I’m not as good as I’m going to be this Easter after Lent.”  And can you say, “I’m better than I used to be?”  I know I can and that’s God’s Grace.  That’s not my doing, that’s God’s Grace. 

As we begin this good season, this holy season of Lent, I ask God’s blessing on everyone here. When Easter dawns this year, may we be close to Jesus Christ because you know, in the end, that’s the only thing that really ever matters.