Brooks' character dies and goes to a place, which isn't quite heaven nor hell, but where he is subject to judgment based on a videotape review of his life. His post-death lawyer tells him they will be viewing nine video clips from his life to see whether he passed the test. Brooks' character is appropriately anxious about this arrangement. To this day, it still amazes me to be there on Ash Wednesday and feel the bond that ties us. I love watching the little ones who get to walk up to be marked when they are ordinarily left unfed in every other Communion march.
Fingers tentatively reach up to feel the mark.
One of the ironies of being Catholic is that the one time a year we have a clear tangible marker, there is a general inadequacy in our explaining it. I do not think it is for lack of information. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus feels exhausted waiting for fruit on the fig tree. There is error to be found in extremes. Being Christian is not necessarily about epics, actions of titanic proportion, nor running away to become Mother Teresas.