Preparing for Ash Wednesday

Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation at Kintore College, Toronto, on February 20, 2023. It was in preparation for Lent. Fulton Sheen defines dirt as matter in the wrong place. If clay is in the garden it is clay, if it is in the house it is dirt. The church then blesses this dirt to show that all things created are good and can be holy. She then smears this dirt on our foreheads saying at the same time the profound spiritual message…Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. In his Lenten message, Pope Francis mentions the scene of the transfiguration, explaining that we have to be like the disciples who made the trek up the hill to follow Jesus in a kind of retreat. It's an uphill path, like a mountain trek that requires effort, sacrifice and concentration. He says: The Gospel relates that Jesus “was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light” (Mt 17:2). This is the “summit”, the goal of the journey. Thumbnail: JOHANN GEORG TRAUTMANN  The Transfiguration, ca. 1750 – 1765 Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Music: FALL - Adrian Berenguer (Album Singularity).