To touch the dust on Ash Wednesday is to be reminded of the impermanence of all things. To go into the desert with Jesus is a reminder of the mercies of darkness. Jesus, John and the desert people were known to hide from the harsh light in caves and kivas. After all, the desert comes alive at night. The soul too flees the harsher lights.
Illumination comes slowly and it is the light at the thresholds of the day and night that beckons.
The soul can rest in liminal light. So mark the transitions of the days in Lent. Take a moment to notice dawn and dusk, the passage of the day. Plant a seed and meditate on the mercies of darkness, as that seed unfolds in the dark earth, it's life as yet invisible on the surface. And consider what remains buried within you, the mystery of life in its invisible unfolding, in its yearning for God.