“Remember man that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shall return.” That’s what the priest says when he smudges the sign of the cross in black chalky paste on congregants’ foreheads. It’s a reminder of our connection to the earth, a warning not to get too big for our britches, and maybe even a relief that our daily worries are like flecks that float through the kitchen in the morning sun, small compared to the vastness of all that is.
Thinking about your Ash Wednesday comments, have 2 thoughts: 1) healthy dirt is life affirming and essential for a healthy climate. We degrade it with our approach to burial; 2) the Catholic Church tolerates and supports barriers to returning to dust/dirt. In most places bodies are preserved with toxic chemicals, encased in elegant wood coffins, and in some cases surrounded by concrete. Such strange customs backed by strong regulations.
Thinking about your Ash Wednesday comments, have 2 thoughts: 1) healthy dirt is life affirming and essential for a healthy climate. We degrade it with our approach to burial; 2) the Catholic Church tolerates and supports barriers to returning to dust/dirt. In most places bodies are preserved with toxic chemicals, encased in elegant wood coffins, and in some cases surrounded by concrete. Such strange customs backed by strong regulations.