March 1, 2006
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TR”ASH” WEDNESDAY
For those of you who are nursing a hangover from Fat Tuesday, today is Ash Wednesday, so it’s time to sober up, fly right, and say you’re going to give up something that you know you won’t miss anyway. That’s right…Lent has begun.
For the uninitiated, Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent. Lent comes from the Latin word “Lenten” which means “springtime” and specifically means “lengthen”; which refers, of course, to the time of year when the days grow longer. The Lenten season is the 40 days prior to Easter and is a period that is to be set aside as a time of spiritual rebirth and renewal. The “Ash” in the Ash Wednesday refers to a medieval ceremony still practiced in many churches in which a cross is marked on the believer’s forehead in either ashes or oil to remind them of Jesus’ death and our own mortality. It’s often observed by fasting which can mean giving up a particular food or anything else that the believer thinks will allow them more time for spiritual reflection.
My church makes a HUGE deal out of Ash Wednesday, and as surprised as I’m sure some of you are, I will be leading our Ash Wednesday service this evening. This service will include three choirs, multiple instrumentalists, the seven Stations of the Cross, a big top, circus performers, and a pony. Ok…I’m kidding about the last three, but it is one of our most elaborate services of the year.
I mentioned earlier the practice of “giving up something for Lent”. The old joke is that people give up stuff they don’t use anyway; kind of like saying Bush is going to give up using logic (sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) I’ve been thinking about what I should give up and an incident that occurred earlier today has brought me to a conclusion:
I was in a meeting at work; one of those meetings that have no real point and drag on endlessly. I was sitting there fuming about having to waste my valuable time when someone said something that I was certain was going to cause another 30 minutes of lame-ass discussion. I made a caustic remark that was so venomous; it actually caused other people in the room to wince.
I apologized, but I went back to my office, closed the door and wondered what caused me to be so mean. I realized that it was simply that I had a real case of feeling superior, which fueled my mean streak, which made me behave like a prick. If I’m honest, I harbor a lot of attitudes from time to time that cause me to behave in ways I’m not proud of. I think we all have this kind of “garbage” that we allow to muck up our daily lives and our relationships.
So this Lenten season, I’m going to try and give up the “trash” that I’ve allowed to accumulate in my life. I’ve tried to do this before and sometimes the trash has a way of finding its way back from the curb and into the house. Be that as it may, I think I’m due for a good spring cleaning.
Comments (14)
I don’t know whether to be impressed, or terrified.
xoxoxo
Let’s just hope the local trash divers don’t go snooping around your curb…they’ll be in for an unplesant surprise.
Good luck on an admirable goal.
I find biting my tongue helpful in some situations when I am tempted to make a really mean sarcastic remark…Blood Type O+ since I need transfusions often!
Good luck. Wouldn’t it be easier to give up Mountain Dew?
LOL…regarding the above comment, I am giving up soda for Lent. I know that’s not much but for ME….I was already having withdrawls YESTERDAY!! I think you have made a very great choice here and maybe others will learn from your example. I thought maybe you was going to give up your convertible or something like that…..I have a nice place to park it if need be….
Ah, it was just your Mardi Gras hangover talking…
Good luck on your goal! I never give up anything for Lent. . .self-denial is a quality I never mastered.
I was raised a Methodist, and we don’t do Ash Wednesday to any real extent. As a kid, I was always envious of how my Catholic friends got to leave school on this day and fascinated by the smudges on their foreheads when they returned.
My goodness Mark…your posts so often speak directly to me!…Dear man, you have such a gift for being able to say just the right thing to help people look at themselves, that you do it as you “study” yourself speaks volumes….I was going to be a wise ass and say that I mentioned today that I was going to give up sex, just to see the horror in my husbands face….but I suspect that in all honesty, many of us need to give up the “trash” you mention….great post!
Getting rid of the garbage is a hard job…I’m throwing bags on the curb every day.
Just because your drawing a line in the sand doesnt mean Im gonna cross it, I dont belong to Lenty religion so Im keeping my trash, thank you very much. Besides, I already gave up stuff for Weight Watchers…that should count for something.
One of my contacts posted that she’s giving up xanga for Lent. She thought that way it was a true sacrifice. I’m glad you didn’t choose xanga instead of your caustic mouth….LOL
I am giving up pirate jokes. This might be a bigger sacrifice for everyone else, because I know how much people love them. As far as giving up the trash, WHAT? God made some people smart and some people idiots. I get the feeling that you have known this for much longer than I have. I have sat in many a meeting, class, or conference call where somebody needs to be put back in place. I love the guy that says what every one else is thinking. The guy with the razor sharp wit that keeps everyone on their toes. You say its trash, I say you are my hero. I’m probably missing the real point about the garbage, but don’t give up honesty. If you feel superior, there is probably a good reason for it. Use it to help the stupid people, don’t deprive the world of Mark, give the world a new and improved Mark. SuperMark if you will. Well I sound like a an autistic Ann Landers, so I will leave now.
I’m sure your co-worker had it coming. Maybe you should give up meetings instead…
That’s so inspiring. Me, I would just give up stupid people. But good for you. Good luck.