We have just celebrated a great event “Ash Wednesday”, the beginning of Lent.
With a powerful sign of ashes and the traditional words that accompany it. “Remember man thou art, but dust and unto dust thou shall return”. Remember man thou art, …. This powerful moment remains deeply embedded in my being from my first experience almost seventy years ago, in fact sixty nine. I was in High Infants in Fantane N. S. (because my mum loved me I was a bit later starting school).
The Head Master was Mr Boyle and on that Ash Wednesday he went to the morning mass in Borisleigh before coming to school. This is an early symbol of delegation when he was appointed by the parish priest to minister the ashes to the school community. Beginning with the youngest, we were in Mrs Ryan’s Class, and each and every child as the ashes were placed upon the forehead, the constant refrain “Remember man thou art, but dust and unto dust thou shall return” placed on every head. “The date of my birth was the reason for the year I started school”.
Tosnu maith se laith an oibre, a good start is half the work and that good start was extended into the liturgy of life “Repent and belief, the good news “God’s salvation has remained the bedrock, the foundation for my life and I am eternally grateful for this.