“You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).
After Adam sinned, God speaks these words to him. Today we repeat them to every Christian in order to remind us of two central truths: our nothingness and the reality of death.
The ashes sprinkled atop our heads have no substance. The slightest movement of air scatters them. They are a marvelous representation of our nothingness.
We do not reflect on death to cause distress, but rather to awaken a deepening desire to do good. Loving God and serving Him alone is what matters and everything else follows.