Eyes Wide Shut

Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember it is only by your gracious gift we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Posted by a friend on her FB page.

Here is what St Oswald says:

The disciples went to sleep when they should have kept awake, and when they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of the irreparable is apt to make us despair, and we say - "It is all up now, it is no use trying any more." If we imagine that this kind of despair is exceptional, we are mistaken, it is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity of doing, then we are apt to sink into despair; and Jesus Christ comes and says - "Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost for ever, you cannot alter it, but arise and go to the next thing." Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ, and go out into the irresistible future with Him.


Today was Ash Wednesday. I pretty much skied, drank a PBR tallboy and part of a great Bloody Mary, went to a wonderful dinner with friends and essentially slept through the day that is supposed to be the day we remember our penitence and mortality AND the gracious gift Christ made for us. Just when I was feeling the first pangs of guilt, I read St Oz who said, basically, "Fuck it, you missed it. Be ready for the next opportunity." [I paraphrase.]


how did i miss this?
waking up my eyes wide shut
irresistible