Today is Ash Wednesday which solemnly marks the beginning of 40 days of the Lenten Season. What makes it very significant is that aside from signifying the start of a period of fasting, abstinence and penance for the Christian Community, it is celebrated with the imposition of a cross mark on the forehead with ashes that were produced from burnt palm leaves and branches collected from last year's Palm Sunday rites.
As the ashes are marked on the forehead, these thought provoking words are recited, "From dust you are made and into dust you shall return". Hearing these powerful words evoke emotions of humility as it brings home the realization that man for all his might and glory is only but a frail creation made from dust and through death, man will again return to nothing at all from whence he came forth.
What then is the meaning of one's earthly life? What are the values of earthly riches and physical possessions when in the end, we shall all lose and leave them in death? How then does one's life become meaningful when the ultimate conclusion to life is physical death?
This question of life, I now pose to you, what is the most important in your life when in the end you will all lose it to death? What then is your definition of a fruitful and purposeful life?
FaithfulDisciple posted on Feb 21, 2007
| views: 2583
Comments
-
silverwhisper said on Feb 21, 2007....
i wasn't aware the ashes were produced from the previous year's palm sunday palms. as ever, i find that i am enriched in my reading of you, FD.
my own definition of a fruitful & purposeful life: to use my strengths for others and to find those i respect help me correct (or at least mitigate) my weaknesses.
ed -
FaithfulDisciple said on Feb 21, 2007....
Ed, you've already demonstrated very well your definitive purpose by sharing your writing skills with us from which the Soulcast community including myself immensely enjoys and constructively learns from.
I'm frankly intrigued and impressed at the very thin line by which you thread between being agnostic and still be fairly objective enough to discuss in detail very important theological traditions without taking any particular side at all. :D
-
secretlife said on Feb 21, 2007....
FD: The start of Lent........and indeed the whole season of Lent is one of my favorite seasons for reflection. You mention humility. Christ's life was all about humilty, no? from his birth in a manger, to his death on the cross.....
And we are reminded today, that we were not always here; nor will we always be....this is what it means to be human....to share this fate with each other.
The fruit of my life is the knowledge that i've raised a family. My life has purpose because of this. Raising kids who will be the next generation, who are good, participating members of society....i don't think there is anything more productive i could do.
i know, when i'm dust......they will go on. just as it did before me.
-
silverwhisper said on Feb 21, 2007....
FD, i like to believe that while i do not subscribe to your faith, i am not so arrogant as to find it lacking in wisdom. i have a keen appreciation for the good faith does in the world and in people's lives. :>
ed -
FaithfulDisciple said on Feb 21, 2007....
Oh SL, to give life when there was none, this I think is the most precious gift a person can do for another as God has done for mankind, He has breathed life into dust from where there once was none.
A Mother's capacity to give life and love unconditionally without asking for anything in return is about the most noble human cause any person can do on her earthly life worthy of infinite gratitude.
-
Lioness said on Feb 22, 2007....
Thank you for reminding us about the meaning of Ash Wednesday, FD. And your question is truly thought-provoking. I will have to pause, think again and come back. -
quidnunc said on Feb 22, 2007....
mrs and i went to mass last night and, as before, the putting of ashes in our respective foreheads reminded us of our mortality, and the promise of eternal life. kudos to you, FD, for posting this meaningful message. -
hotaka said on Feb 22, 2007....
I heard a story today, a true one, about a woman I know who went to see a special person (job description - aura reader maybe?) That woman asked her questions about her life and feelings and near the end of the session she said that the woman (I know) has an aura like a bright white light around her. She said that everyone has an aura but most people's are not so brilliant. According to her beliefs, we are all reborn and ascend to higher levels of spirituality with each life. In the end we actually become a warm bright white light of energy. A person with an aura of brilliant light is nearing the end of his or her journey through earthly lives. Such a person will often find it difficult to live amongst ordinary people and will often be misunderstood. That person will also have a dark shadow behind him or her and might be perceived by others as having a mental illness. A lot of things I heard about that woman are similar to me and I thought, "Wow, I wonder if my aura is so bright. If I can have an aura of brilliant white then I would also be nearing the end of my spiritual journey and I would be a very spiritual person." I was actually going to write a blog about this and related topics but didn't feel up to it tonight.
To sum it up, I want to be good to all things and a person of warmth, compassion and peace. When I leave this life for whatever comes next, I hope I will leave a lot of good feelings behind. I hope when people hear my name they will think, what a nice guy he was. It's too bad he's gone. If I can leave my trace by bringing little flickers of light and happiness into people's lives then I can be happy to move on.
Of course, I have a long way to go before I can be so brilliant and spiritual. But today I was extra nice to my friend's dog just to celebrate my love for animals. Even animals deserve some light in their lives.
-
Lioness said on Feb 22, 2007....
Well, as promised, I'm back.
Indeed, material possessions, no matter how costly, or extravagant they are, becomes useless when we die. This insight I have gained when my mother passed away. Every single thing that she strived for, were all left to us. Not that there were a lot, but then, I realized that life is not all about accumulating material things, it is living life to its fullest.
Life itself is a gift from God. We were given the priviledge to decide what to do with it. The most important thing is to keep my faith in God. Every day, I cast all my cares upon Him.
Just like hotaka, a well-lived life for me is doing good for others. The mere intention to do good is something exhilirating. But putting this intention into action is better. And this is not easy, considering that we could not please every person in our midst and we have our own personal issues to consider.
-
FaithfulDisciple said on Feb 22, 2007....
Good to see you back Quid and thanks for dropping by.
Hotaka: Thanks for sharing this informative and enlightening experience. It's just that some people's aura are brighter than others. I don't know if the intensity of brightness has something to do with a person's phase of nearing the end of his life's journey.
There is a test you can take to check the brightness of your aura. I haven't tried it out as I received this in my email just now. This can be an interesting one to take now that you've discussed the importance of a person's aura brightness. -
FaithfulDisciple said on Feb 22, 2007....
Lioness: This philosophy of doing good for others is what is meant in the phrase, "Let me do things now the right way, for I shall only pass this way once never to return again." -
hotaka said on Feb 23, 2007....
Oh, the Tickle Tests! I have taken a number of their tests for fun. I am not surprised they have an aura brightness test, though seeing it on their site makes it look hokey. I stopped taken their tests when I had to sign up for silly programs in order to get the results. But thanks for the feedback, FD. I like your comment to Lioness, btw. -
shiningstar said on Mar 12, 2007....
Those who have returned after being pronounced dead by the doctors all affirm the wonderful light and tunnel that they experience. Jesus proved no one dies. Was not the purpose of his return to prove his body was intact, alive and well? I believe that if apples, trees, dirt, stars, the blue sky and people are made out of the only substance available -God-- then we must all be god because god is everywhere.Is that not what OMNI means? So if all is clay no matter what their appearance then all is God and God has no begining or end. So life unfolds moment to moment no matter where we find ourselves. -
FaithfulDisciple said on Mar 13, 2007....
Good point shining star. If we are all made in the image of God, then why can't we be immortal like God. But the point is because of the sin of disobedience, man was cast away from paradise and was condemned to a life of mortality. Even in the Old Testament, mortality meant living beyond hundreds of years as was indicated in the Bible.
Still, God can grant us immortal salvation when we transcend from the physical to the spiritual realm, but only if we accept Jesus in our life who represents the Father of all Life.
-
shiningstar said on Mar 13, 2007....
Of course you have to believe in sin and Jesus , the Bible says, found none. Salvation means to be saved does it not??The only thing to be saved from appeared to be Jehovah and his threats of punishment to those who he claimed to have created. Jesus said "I am the way". Try and throw your I am to someone else. I am applies personally to only one person the person using it. So every person has an I AM and each one has their own way and it works only for them. .
Comment on "From Dust You Are Made, Into Dust You Shall Return; Power of Death Over Life"
Related Posts:
CreativeWoman
posted on Nov 06, 2009
| views: 166
|
My dog Pokey passed away this morning. I knew it was coming because... read entire post