Pricela joined me at mass for Ash Wednesday, and it was great to have someone come along. It was packed! She and I helped bring over folding chairs from the parish hall, and we lined the center aisle with chairs all along the right side. People were sitting on the sides, too, and we even had some sitting up on the altar. For Ash Wednesday to not be a holy day of obligation, I am always amazed at how many feel “obligated” to attend. I believe it’s because all are welcome and all are allowed to receive ashes. It was a beautiful ceremony, and I learned some more about Pricela.
She had two close friends die well before their time, both in car accidents, and their deaths have had a huge impact on her life. They lived life to the fullest, she said, and she wanted her life to be as impactful as theirs were, even though they lived a short time (they died in their twenties).
As I write this, I am thinking this was a message for both of us. For me, I learned again from Pricela’s story and experience that life is precious. Nobody knows when death will come, so make the most of life. For Pricela, she had the ashes spread across her forehead, and she heard, “Remember that you come from ashes, and to ashes you shall return.” It’s not that we needed to hear these messages, but it reaffirmed what we are both doing now, with my being a teacher and she a participant with Up With People.
She had two close friends die well before their time, both in car accidents, and their deaths have had a huge impact on her life. They lived life to the fullest, she said, and she wanted her life to be as impactful as theirs were, even though they lived a short time (they died in their twenties).
As I write this, I am thinking this was a message for both of us. For me, I learned again from Pricela’s story and experience that life is precious. Nobody knows when death will come, so make the most of life. For Pricela, she had the ashes spread across her forehead, and she heard, “Remember that you come from ashes, and to ashes you shall return.” It’s not that we needed to hear these messages, but it reaffirmed what we are both doing now, with my being a teacher and she a participant with Up With People.
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