Tell me a story

Paul and I attended 7 a.m. Ash Wednesday Mass expecting to pray, kneel (that's what we Catholics do) and come away with ash marks on our foreheads, like usual. I thought I might be able to daydream through the homily, instead had a little wake up call from the Big Guy.

Associate Pastor Reverend George Komo said Mass that day. Father Komo must be from Nigeria - at least that's my guess. Several years ago we had a priest from Nigeria in Creston (we all really liked him) named Father Imeka. I believe the two men have similar accents. That's the reason for my Nigeria guess.

During the sermon, Father started by talking recycling - something near and dear to my heart. He said in his homeland, they had to make sure to re-use everything, until it was totally used up. Ashes were very important to them. There was no electricity in his family's home, and they had to preserve the fire embers each night with ashes. Or he got no breakfast. His grandma would try to remind him about the ashes, but if they forgot - I guess there was no backup Cap'n Crunch option.

They were also asked to take bowls of ashes to school. Why? The place had a mud floor, and when ashes were spread on it and swept in, it kept it from turning into a quagmire. And kids could learn.

To get clean water, they would put ashes with sand in a sieve and run the water through it. Last - if anyone got heartburn (with his slight accent, that word took me a bit to figure out (hotbon) just what Father Komo was saying..) then they could lick some ashes to offset the acidity with the alkaline ash.

Wow! Who knew ashes were that useful! Then he brought it all together by comparing the ash of his childhood to the ash we would receive that day. The ash could warm our souls like it kept the embers hot at night. The ash could help cleanse us, help detoxify.

When you receive the ashes on Ash Wednesday, the person distributing them says, ""Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." As they make the sign of the cross on your head with the material. It's humbling. And true.

I enjoyed listening to Father Komo's sermon about his childhood. Starting out my day with Mass was nice. Everybody - let's go out there an be kinder gentler people this Easter season. Do it for the ashes.