February 18: Ash Wednesday!

Day 284

Even though Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation, it is one of my favorite masses of the year. EVERYONE goes to Ash Wed. Mass. I don't know if it's because of the ashes, or because it signifies a chance to start over or because we've been conditioned to go after years of CCD, but the churches are always crammed full for this solemn day. Here are the reasons I love Ash Wednesday and Lent:

• The song "Ashes" (we got to sing it twice through this year!)
• The Gloria is not sung during lent
• Fish Fries (though there is a great void of fish fries in western KS)
• A chance to grow closer to God
• Holy Week and the Triduum
• A chance to purge!! - this year I'm giving up online videos of all sorts and reading only Catholic/spiritual books

Speaking of purging, today I'm letting go of a flannel shirt my sister gave me several years ago. I've loved this shirt and worn it more than most of my clothes, but pregnancy-post-pregnancy-pregnancy have made the shirt incompatible with my body.