took and mixed in with three measures of flour until
all of it was leavened." Matthew 13:33
From the April/May 2008 Issue
Smudge vs. Cross
Kateri Sheber Howard
Kateri Sheber Howard is the nine-year old daughter of Leaven Advisory Board member, Amy Sheber Howard. She is a fourth grader at Escuela de Guadalupe in northwest Denver.
After Mass at school, I looked in the mirror and I saw a smudge of ashes. I thought to myself, “Why does it have to be a smudge again this year?” I got my backpack and left to go home, forgetting that my mom’s friend was picking me up. In the car when she said we were going to Mass again, I thought to myself “Yes! I can get a cross this time.” When it was time to get our ashes at church, I wiped off my old smudge hoping I would get a cross this time. Then I looked in the mirror again and saw another smudge.
I think to myself what the difference between a smudge and a cross means
to me. A smudge is just a black dot on my forehead, nothing to be proud
of. All it looks like is I was playing in the dirt and got my head dirty.
But when I look in the mirror and see a cross, I have a completely different
feeling. I feel proud and excited. It reminds me that God and Jesus are
with us and in our hearts. It symbolizes how Jesus dies for us, so we should
sacrifice something just as Jesus did. Lent is a time to sacrifice something,
or do something helpful. That is what Jesus did through his whole life.
We should at least be able to do it for 40 days and 40 nights. I’ll
keep hoping for that cross.