A song for Ash Wednesday by Tom Conroy, that we sing once a year I suppose. This version is about as spirited a rendition as you are likely to hear. It isn’t my favourite song to play or sing, so I can use that as a penance. That’s not due to it being called heretical, I just think it mistakes dreariness for solemnity – but lots of people love it and we are going to sing it every Ash Wednesday forever, so I best just get over myself. The text evokes a northern hemisphere Lent, which is mildly annoying in the southern hemisphere.
It can be purchased for download at OCP.
We rise again from ashes, from the good we’ve failed to do.
We rise against from ashes, to create ourselves anew.
If all the world is ashes, then must our lives be true?
An offering of ashes, an offering to you.We offer you our failures, we offer you attempts,
The gifts not fully given, the dreams not fully dreamt.
Give our stumblings direction, give our visions wider view,
An offering of ashes, an offering to you.Then rise again from ashes, let healing come to pain.
Though spring has turned to winter, and sunshine turned to rain.
The rain we’ll use for growing, and create the world anew,
From an offering of ashes, an offering to you.
An extra verse not in AOV:
Thanks be the Father who made us like Himself,
Thanks be to His Son who saved us by His death,
And thanks be to His Spirit who creates the world anew,
From an offering of ashes, and offering to you.
© New Dawn Music 1978.
I do not understand the lyrics at all. I think it is an absurb song let alone a Christian or Lent song. I wonder why it is an ‘approved’ song that is ‘liturgicalljy’ sound. Can anyonw enlighten me? Thanks.
I’m not sure it’s absurd, Justin, but you might have to ask Tom Conroy what he meant.
I think of it in context at a service to distribute ashes on Ash Wednesday. The point of ashes is not just an exercise in humility, but an opportunity for growth in our Christian journey.
You could think of it as accepting our sinfulness and brokenness and transcending it through Christ.
What do others think?
I absolutely agree. I don’t know what part of this song isn’t biblical, however I think it’s much stronger with the last verse. The last verse brings the song to its proper conclusion, just as Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension brings their reality of our “ashes” to the proper conclusion, and redemption at the eschatological conclusion of creation. This song speaks to the fact of our mortality and shows the results of the fall, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19). We have to face our mortality and our sinfulness before we can ever accept what Christ has done for us, and be transformed by His truth and love. I think that this song, as well as Ash Wednesday, speaks to that fact and helps us grasp it in a tangible way.
I don’t understand how you can think this song isn’t Christian; it’s one of the most Christian songs I know. It really gets at the heart of what we believe, and is especially appropriate for Lent, when we are actively focusing on our sins. This is one of my absolute favorite songs; it soothes my soul. It is saying that God will accept us however unworthy or afraid we feel (and if you feel worthy of God, something is seriously wrong with you), that we just need to turn our hearts to God.
We sing this song not only on ash Wednesday, but we start off every weekend mass during lent with it. We all love it. God loves us, warts and all, our successes and failures. God gives us the strength to rise from our failures if we just ask for his help and try. To us, at Spirit of Christ Catholic community, it gives us hope and strength to go on no matter what!
we sing this song, not only on Ash Wednesday, but at the begining of all theweekend
masses during Lent. God loves us warts and all, our successes and failures. He gives us the strength to rise from our failures if we only ask and try. We, at Spirit of Christ Catholic community, love this song, it gives us so much hope.
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