The use of contemporary news stories and ashes focuses on our need for a Savior.

The Day: Ash WednesdayIt was Ash Wednesday, and a woman sifting in a crowded Catholic church, leaned over to the young man next to her and asked: "What is it that brings so many people out on a cold night, to get a little dirt smeared on their foreheads, and to be reminded that they are sinners and that they are going to die?" He looked at her somewhat oddly and said, "It's habit, I guess."

It must be more than habit. Ash Wednesday strikes a responsive chord in many people. Its theme has a peculiar appeal. It is a time to reflect that we are sinners, that life is finite and that we are but ashes. But it is something we need to do on occasion. It is a time to confront the failings of ourselves and of our society.…