Ashes

Today marks the first day of Lent. Leading to this day, I've kinda dreaded it because it coincided with Chinese New Year again. I thought it might be really trying to survive through all the fasting and abstinence that is required. God showed me He is really great! Once again, he tells me that His graces are surely enough for me. So far, it hasn't been as challenging as I had thought. Thank God!

I received a sad news this morning that one of our students passed away yesterday. He was a good boy and a student leader that we could depend on. It is unfortunate with his sudden passing and we have lost a good youth.

Life, is really short. In today's mass, we sang Ashes. The lyrics struck me so hard. I recall picking my grandma's bone and ashes the other day. How a person who had lived on this earth for 96 years can be reduced to just ashes in about two hours. Today we are reminded that we were from ashes and when we leave this world, we return as ashes. All the great things we can do, all the impressions we want to leave on people, how long our lives we can live; we will be nothing on the day we return to the Father's Home. Of course, that doesn't mean we stop doing good things or great ideas. Life goes on as usual. We are only on this earth for as long as we are required to. Let's live the life that will lead us to living in eternity with the Lord.

1. We rise again from ashes,
from the good we’ve failed to do.
We rise again from ashes,
to create ourselves anew.
If all our world is ashes,
then must our lives be true,
an offering of ashes, an offering to you.

2. We offer you our failures,
we offer you attempts,
the gifts not fully given,
the dreams not fully dreamt.
Give our stumblings direction,
give our visions wider view,
an offering of ashes, an offering to you.

3. Then rise again from ashes,
let healing come to pain,
though spring has turned to winter,
and sunshine turned to rain.
The rain we’ll use for growing,
and create the world anew
from an offering of ashes, an offering to you.