Recalibrate Your Heart
A short reflection for embodied spirits
I’m as gray as the day that I’ll become ashes.
These words, wisely said by Dr. Jackson Crawford on the occasion of his fifth sobriety anniversary, echo those we hear on Ash Wednesday as the priest signs our foreheads with ashes, saying: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These words are also the words our patriarch Adam heard from the Lord God following the Fall. This is an eternal reminder of our mortality, fragility, and weakness. We share in the imago Dei, but we are far from being perfect.
Tempus fugit, memento mori.
Yes, we are all going to face death; it’s our destiny. However, there’s no reason for despair. While we are alive, we can choose to be the best versions of ourselves by rejecting vices, practicing virtues, and recalibrating our hearts to the true North. Out hearts are compasses made to point and guide us to the perfect telos: the kingdom of God. By choosing to praise, reverence, and serve Him in everything we do, we allow our hearts to be recalibrated. Therefore, even when we turn into ashes, our spirits will live on for the greater glory of God, who will resurrect us on that great day, “when the Son of Man comes in his glory”, “so that God may be all in all.” Amen. Alleluia.
Leo Rander, SJ is a Roman Catholic passionate about liturgical theology and choral music.
