Dust thou art

Editorial, February 2011

Ash Wednesday usually occurs in February, but this year it comes later, on March 9. “Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return.” The Church offers this prayer for each one of us as the priest traces a black cross on our foreheads with the … [Read more...]

“And unto dust you shall return”

Ash Wednesday is more than an empty ritual—it is a reminder of our mortality and frailty.

Rosary beads, holy water, incense, ashes, et cetera—the “sacramentals” used in prayer and liturgy give Catholicism much of its distinctive flavor. As we are physical creatures in love with a God-made-flesh, the Church encourages the use of m … [Read more...]