{"id":7095,"date":"2017-03-01T07:52:13","date_gmt":"2017-03-01T13:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?p=7095"},"modified":"2026-02-26T13:41:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T19:41:39","slug":"marked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2017\/03\/01\/marked\/","title":{"rendered":"Marked"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/strong>Most days, our schedules are clogged<\/p>\n

with avoidance: We\u2019d rather ignore<\/p>\n

the inevitable smudge of human decay.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This morning though, Ash Wednesday,<\/p>\n

we step into lines and confront<\/p>\n

the truth of pain.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We allow strangers to mark us<\/p>\n

with a message of paradox.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Remember, you are dust. To dust you will return. <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Flecks of once joyous palms, now black grime<\/p>\n

Color the firm skin of the young,<\/p>\n

Fall into the creased skin of the old.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Repent and believe in the Gospel.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In somber silence we gaze at faces<\/p>\n

that will all end up in the grave.<\/p>\n

A unity emerges with fresh freedom.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Life after death.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Off to meetings, appointments, repentance or avoidance\u2014<\/p>\n

yet some will wear their marks with pride.<\/p>\n

We all are moving in the same direction.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Photo credit: FreeImages.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u00a0Most days, our schedules are clogged with avoidance: We\u2019d rather ignore the inevitable smudge of human decay.   This morning though, Ash Wednesday, we step into lines and confront the truth of pain.   We allow strangers to mark us with a message of paradox.   Remember, you are dust. To dust you will return....","protected":false},"author":4071079,"featured_media":7096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2178641],"tags":[624509,6243,7104,214,2416,8437,140141,7984,401,7816,5211205,64260,698755380,1861871,64908,110427],"series":[698756626],"class_list":["post-7095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prayer-and-spirituality","tag-ash-wednesday","tag-ashes","tag-catholic","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-death","tag-dirt","tag-dust","tag-faith","tag-god","tag-human-decay","tag-human-experience","tag-lent","tag-poetry-2","tag-repentance","tag-ritual","series-messy-jesus-business"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ash-texture-1156374.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/messy-jesus-business","embedCode":"
Marked<\/a><\/blockquote>