A Lenten Prayer
Now comes the time we honor
The savior's suff'ring turn
And so wear ashes on our face
As to ashes we return.
We ask employment for the sick,
Peace on Earth to follow,
A sinless life for our neighbor,
Though his virtue be yet hollow.
Refrain for forty days to judge us,
Our sinful souls set free.
Give us forbearance towards curmudgeons
And nearerness, LORD, to thee.
Let our sacrifice be enough
Let our devotion flower
Let us not neglect your enemies
But keep our faces dour.
Humbled, though we might have been,
Thou hast refilled our pride.
On Easter, when He rose again
We, too, set gravity aside.
HUMILITY, n. The virtue distinguishing the God-fearing Christian from the self-loving non-believer.
30 comments:
As a botanist, I have always objected to the idea of Ash Wednesday. I've never seen any reason to celebrate one species of tree over the others. I mean, where is Birch Monday? Oak Tuesday (celebrated with wine or whiskey)? Pine Friday ...? Is ash really that superior for roasting ...?
HUMILITY, n. That hot, clammy, stifling, loosen-your-tie feeling ... Whaddaya mean, no?!? Oh, d ...
Erste, Fräulein!!
What, I wonder, would be the virtue of the self-loving Christian?
My virtue is humiliation.
Humility: signifies lowliness or submissiveness
humility the person who has none believes he has too much: the person who has plenty strives for more.
Then there are those of us who just know we're all that and don't worry about it.
Humility: willingness to eat pie sans ice cream.
Ash Wednesday: 1) the middle of an exciting week for a volcanologist; 2) just one of a string of bad days for the local natives.
Speaking of ashes ... No, sorry, that's The Ashes. Advance Australia Fair!
:)
I see that Minka has not arrived yet she must be hanging a bag on some cute guy :)
I just posted my memories of Ash Wednesday on Leidur og List, which also will explain my previous statement.
The Amoeba this one is for you :)
Amoeba, I'm sure there's a dysentery awareness day.
That's it, Cheesie.
TLP, are you sure you aren't thinking of sufferage?
Quilly, the one who just rode her bike between two trees not realizing her handlebars were too wide strikes me as an example.
Puppy, may the sun never rise on such a humble day for you. I'm not sure it would.
Al, God bless the natives.
Amoeba, did you bring up cricket? Now I need a nap.
Mo'a, I bet I'd get that if I were Icelandic. Oh, or if I go to your blog.
Humility: the wisdom to know the difference.
Ah, so this is what your symbolism was leading up to.
Humility: knowing your limitations, however limited they may be. I'm giving up sloth and gluttony for Lent. May try to work on greed and envy. Pride is a long shot. I'm keeping wrath and lust. xoxo
Ash Wednesday-a day of mystery and awe for little Catholic kids who, for once, are encouraged to get a smudge on their foreheads!
humility-not familiar with this one.....humiliation? oh yeah.
The Devil claims it's not the heat it's the humility.
But, Doug, I lived! Do you know what that did for my rep?
Humili-T: that which keeps U from being an S.
i know, i know... *groan* but, hey, it could have been worse. and by "worse", i mean i came thisclose to offering up a lame pun about cups of "Humili-TEA". see? worse.
sorry.
hey, what's wrong with self-loving? it's in the Bible, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' (or as your dog.)
Humility: That which Dubya lacks, occassionally provides entertaining Bushisms.
"If you find a neighbor in need, you're responsible for serving that neighbor in need, you're responsible for loving a neighbor just like you'd like to love yourself." - GWB
Lordamercy!
Humility: remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
G, symbolism always leads somewhere.
Mireille, where would wrath and lust be without you?
Kyah, I'll introduce you over cards sometime.
Funny, TLP. I guess he's from Arizona.
Quilly, you mean to your face or behind your back?
a4g, 3 out of 4 wearing that smudge today are atheists.
Puppybrose, that was worth being humble about.
Ariel, I'm pretty sure the bible doesn't want me loving myself like I do the neighbor.
Sar, that was an awkward one, I guess.
Can't today, Aral. It's a holiday.
I remember Ash Wednesday vaguely and prefer your definition.
Humility..eh, you can love yourself or you can love the one your with. No doubt I prefer the former.
I could soooo go to town on this definition..but I won't;)
Absolutely perfectly-said update Doug.
BTW - Protestants do the smudgy bit on the forehead, and the washing of feet too. Oh, and we humbly eat pancakes on Ash Wednesday.
Why do you fear your god anyway? Don't you trust him/her?
Me too, Cooper.
Like Godzilla and lame goose, Mistress? Like that?
Terry, which part of the body do you suppose the pancakes represent?
TLP, I'm not sure I can answer that out loud.
um... I'd rather not go there...
*tags little bag of ash on Doug while he is inspecting a bone*
Sorry I am late, but I was witching!
The last stanza!!! *claps*
"This is my earlobe, bent for thee. Do this in rememberance of me?"
Minka, a witch is never late, right? Achooo!
HA HA HA HA that is so funny Doug! I've never had one bend an earlobe for me yet! (Hmmm, seems strangely reminiscent of another line I've heard somewhere...)
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