Wednesday, March 9, 2011

unity in ashes

millions upon millions of catholics
(and some other christians too)
will identify themselves with smudges
of ashes on the forehead this day

they will accept their marking along
with everyone else who believes in this

this is a worldwide community act
and it also by implication indicates
the commonality of all human experience
it is not a mark of distinction so much as
a visible statement of belonging to the human race
and a recognition of the centrality of our story

now christ is marked with ashes from last years'
palms of palm sunday
and we begin once again the humbling reality
of our pilgrimage in time

these black dirty smudges are our banner of hope
we have little else to go on
making true our gesture of faith
that this meaning we allow to mark our foreheads
is enough to carry all our hearts' hopes
to their ultimate destination
god knows

it's a good thing the eucharist follows
the ashes
else we'd be the most foolish of people
perhaps we already are

ashes to ashes
we all fall down

13 comments:

  1. i thought about getting ashes
    found a church near campus
    that was distributing them at 4:30 pm
    but i couldn't get away from work in time
    my heart was there though

    we had a nice morning prayer service
    at our church
    the pastor started and ended it
    with a cd of taize music
    which was actually one of
    the most helpful parts of the service for me

    there were eight of there
    sitting in the choir area
    four on each side facing each other

    i think there is definitely
    some potential there

    we read psalm 51 responsively
    the pastor alternating
    with the rest of us
    i think i will suggest
    that next time we act
    as choir 1 and choir 2
    exhorting each other
    with the alternating stanzas
    of the psalm of the day

    who knows
    maybe we could eventually
    even chant a psalm
    i don't know
    that may be asking too much
    we'll see

    i will ponder ashes today
    pema chodron has a teaching
    i suppose it is probably
    a generic buddhist teaching
    using the thought of death
    as a tool
    sort of a "if i were dying
    would this thing that is
    bothering me today matter?"
    type of exercise

    i haven't fully connected with it yet
    but it does remind me of the benedictine
    teaching to
    keep death daily before your eyes

    i do sense an inkling
    of freedom and release
    in the benedictine formulation
    though i can't quite put my finger on it

    in both traditions
    i think there is a sense
    of using this life
    to prepare one's self for death
    whether the specific focus be
    presenting one's whole life
    as an offering to god
    at the moment of death
    or whether it be practicing
    letting go in the little losses
    that happen throughout life
    so as to be ready for the ultimate
    letting go into death
    to surrender one's self easily
    in that moment

    maybe surrendering
    will be my word for the day today
    surrendering myself to God
    and to others

    in our prayer service yesterday
    we recited a version
    of the confeitor
    from the book of common prayer
    i like the communal aspect of it
    the confession of sin
    (generically, not specifically)
    to our brothers and sisters in christ
    and with them
    there is something profound about that
    for me
    maybe i'm just lonely
    and longing for any sort
    of connection with others

    i guess i'm just rambling here
    thanks for listening
    is that one thing
    that communities do for each other?
    listen to each other ramble?

    time now for me
    to head out the door
    for a physical ramble
    with my dog

    sister sally of the mountains

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  2. Do they have a Mardi gras in Montana, jh? Pardner, we're headed down to the Billings Carnevale--make sure to be wearin' yr masque...that jester thang. heh heh :]

    Ashes a few years ago we did (they mix in some wax, yo pienso, and took like a few days to wear off). But was...episco..--so didn't really count anyway. RCC does apparently make an exception on AW and allows non-cats. to receive La Ceniza. Lent sacrifice? No cheap American beer, but only good booze. A-men

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  3. speaking of sacrifice
    i've thought about forgoing meat
    for lent this year
    i seem to be headed that direction anyway
    cooking lots of vegetarian meals lately

    i found myself at a restaurant a few weeks ago
    debating between one of the specials
    rack of lamb
    versus a gorgonzola-pear-walnut salad that was on the menu

    i love lamb
    and don't often have the opportunity to eat it
    so i was sort of surprised to find myself
    relunctant to order it
    something about the phrase
    "rack of lamb"
    got me to wondering
    just which part of the body
    is the "rack" of a lamb?
    and that made me think of the lamb
    as an actual living being
    something that has never really
    happened to me before
    and found myself opting for the salad
    out of compassion for the lamb

    maybe the buddhist stuff i've been reading
    about awakeing compassion for all living beings
    is starting to have an effect on me

    i haven't made any formal commitment about this
    i had chicken tacos for lunch yesterday
    (but no meat for dinner)
    instead of becoming a vegetarian
    i think it is more likely i will head
    in the direction of something i read
    on the menu of a tibetan restaurant recently
    it described the traditional
    tibetan meal as dal (lentils) and bhaat (rice)
    and said that meat was a special treat
    that was enjoyed on rare occasions

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  5. Interesting, S.

    Pork I can do without, though enjoy poultry, fish...beef sometimes (wit a twinge of guilt...) or mutton on very rare occasions (basque cuisine--¡sabrosa!). While I don't generally agree with zealous vegetarians (or boodhistic types) I would agree the cattle/pork business is Bad Joss--. But the meat's already slaughtered--so barring some vegan-laws, I don't think it's a sin per se to consume. The kosher laws seem rather absurd in ways--no to shellfish, or shrimp, and pork, but not to beef?? Beef cattle certainly does far more damage eco-wise than does ..shrimp. Quite a bit more than pork as well. Locusts are kosher too, but....Ill paseo on the fajitas de locustas . Another Lenten sacrfice! No locusts. :]

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  6. i'm with you J
    i will muster all my courage
    and give up locusts for lent

    i've wondered lately
    whether buddhists take a stand on abortion
    it would seem to me that
    the development of compassion
    for all sentient beings
    would surely extend to fetuses
    (is that the correct plural form?)
    as much as to any animal

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  8. Yes, a B.-ist might argue in that fashion, S.
    --though I support the right of
    first-term abortion for unplanned/wanted preg., with reservations. In some cases-...an impoverished single mother, perhaps alcoholic, etc--A. might be the greater good. Wouldn't a just Being want us to weigh goods/not-goods?

    the ecological types who argue for the equality of all species I don't generally agree with, though. Couldn't a B-ist also argue against eradicating the locusts with pesticide?? Do locusts have rights? Not to me. Nor do spiders, ants, roaches. etc. Tho'....granted there is a bit of guilt when wiping out ant swarms.

    But mammals quite different. Eating shrimp or..dungeness crab or salmon steaks I don't consider a sin. Even turkeys and pollo not too bright. But....
    cows, or pigs? Sort of simple compared to humans but slightly sentient (and I wd say ..cows feel pain..whereas fish, very little, birds maybe a bit) . Assuming it exists, the wheel of Karma...or is it Jesus-- may not approve of the cow-a-cide, though I don't think its equivalent to murder (of humans) . "Great chain of Being" the RCC called it did they not? Or...giros/gyres....

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  9. that said, Im not a guru. S (or buddhist), though intrigued by some eastern thought (yet repulsed at times as well...). Some hindu music sounds nice (tho' probably...hippyish perhaps to some). Not sure west and east can meet, though Schopenhauer suggested they might--but I doubt the local WASP church cares for Schopenhauer (nor does the RCC). I value reason, democracy, science too much for ...the buddhistic resignation . Take care.

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  10. when i rescue a spider
    take it outside and release it
    rather than crushing it
    i feel good about myself
    it feels good
    to have compassion
    for another being
    whether that being is sentient or not

    i'm not saying i never kill a spider
    nor that it would be a sin if i did
    i'm just noticing that it feels good
    to discover and nurture
    compassionate qualities within myself

    there may be some days
    when rescuing a spider
    is the only thing i do
    that i actually feel good
    about having done

    it can be a doorway
    to resuscitating
    my capacity to love


    i like this concept you mention
    about the great chain of being
    i'm going to think about that for a while

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  11. the great chain of being


    Yes, quite interesting concept--Aristotelian, IIRC (though ...with some biblical support). Perhaps Padre jh could explain why/how it still matters, and/or might replace mere Darwinian mechanism.

    At times I ...nearly believe in the Argument from Design, S. Roses, fruit trees in bloom, ...lupine fields! Or...per TSE, April is the cruelest month. Yet by July , and/or a few dozen zopilotes circling (ie, black vultures migrate to AV area early spring/late fall), or barely missing a mojave green whilst cycling...and I don't . Natural disasters--quakes, plagues, floods-- also don't so good for a Designer (at least christian sort).

    Authentic faith implies believing notwithstanding the apparent lack of evidence, I guesss. :|

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  12. hey i have enjoyed the conversation here quite a back and forth tirade of good cognitive banter
    it's the sort of thing i am accostomed to hearing at the monastic dining room tables and in the coffee rooms of religious houses in general maybe coffee and tea are here implicitly and people share these things witht he words
    coffee tea and cyber virtual repartee'

    whole hearted approval from the board of regents at communitas dies

    jh

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  13. I've been wanting to respond to J's suggestion that "authentic faith implied believing notwithstanding the apparent lack of evidence." I'm not sure I agree with that, but haven't yet had time to think through what I would like to say.

    ... maybe later

    lots of grading to do this weekend

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