What I learned while on sabbatical...

 perfect discussion for the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.

The first object of my attention was my habits. I made a concentrated effort to reform some of my sloppy ways. That alone changes so much in our life.

I believed being online for many hours a day was harmful. Now I know it is. And so I’ve severely limited the sites I visit.  During the past few months I tended to all my duties associated with my state in life before even approaching my computer. I might add in most cases these tasks were written in my agenda the evening before – usually after spending a bit of time cogitating in my journal. 

I try to stick to the 3-3-3 method to prioritize and it’s working like a charm.

• Every quarter, you set three goals that you want to achieve in the three months ahead.
• Each week, you define the three objectives that will have the most impact on your quarterly goals.
• Every day, you choose the three tasks that will help you make the most progress toward your weekly objectives.

The ashes come from a previous Palm Sunday. The palms are burned, the ashes collected, crushed, and mixed with a bit of holy oil.

The ashes are blessed by the priest during the Ash Wednesday Mass after the homily. People are invited to come forward, and the ashes are applied to each person’s forehead in the shape of a cross (we hope – sometimes it’s more of a blob) as the minister says, “Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”

The rest of the day, we’ll be assailed by helpful people telling us we have dirt on our forehead.  NB: It’s really not too Christian to reply, “WTHell, you pagan heathen. Don’t you know it’s Ash Wednesday?” Please just smile all holy and sphinx like, nod, and say, “Thank you.”