Urbi et Orbi & Operation AXIOM
I love Ash Wednesday, not just as the beginning of Lent but also as that rare occasion when we all walk around declaring publicly our Catholicism. At the same time, I've always found Matthew 6 to be an odd choice of Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday. The sixth chapter of the Gospel According to Matthew—part of the Sermon on the Mount—is chockablock with good stuff, about not making a public display of either almsgiving or prayer, of not letting your left hand know what the right is doing. The message is: do not try to win public praise & approval for your righteousness, for if you do it is not righteousness & that public praise & approval will be your only reward, whereas if you had kept your good deeds secret that would have been just the sort of righteousness the Lord rewards in the hereafter. We are told to keep our displays of the faith subtle & secret… moments before crosses of ash are placed on our foreheads for all to see. Byeh? Ash Wednesday is great & Matthew 6 is great, I'm just not sure they're two great tastes that taste great together.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
The Best Week Ever, "Suitcases" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)