We need ritual. All of us.

We must remain committed to serve the vulnerable.

We must intentionally live and act in hope in order to move into the unknown.

Whenever dioceses choose to lift dispensations, like with other difficult pandemic-related decisions, individual believers will have to decide for themselves when they feel safe going back to church.

Question: How does one cram enough candles onto a birthday cake for one of the world’s oldest survivors of COVID-19? Answer: With 117 candles, you can’t.

The ashes—while perhaps the most visible part of Ash Wednesday observances—aren’t the most important.