By Joseph Nassal, CPPS

Compassionate and Holy God,
stir the dust of our lives and help us remember who we are.
Scatter this dust upon the field of our fear
and give us the courage to yield to redemption.
Ignite the ashes of our burned-out dreams and kindle life.
As we carefully place these ashes in the urn of our heart,
we yearn for sparks of new life.

Loving God,
as we paint our faces with these ashes,
You call us to turn away from sin but not from death.
You tempt us to look the face of death in the eye
as we embrace and remember life.

Merciful God,
as we carry the ash tattoo of the cross upon our foreheads,
kindle within us memories of your mercy.
Give us the courage to turn away from sin and return to You,
and so find our way to one another.
It is in this turning that we find our truth.

+ Amen.