I'm debating whether or not to attend Ash Wednesday services in the morning. First of all, it would require getting up at 7am, when I could otherwise sleep until 9. Second, I am certain the cross that would be marked on my forehead with the ashes of burned palms will appear to be just a dark smudge by midday.

Sometimes, all it is from the outset is a smudge because the priest is either unable or unwilling to make an articulate cross upon the forehead of the parishioner. The thumb, opposable though it may be, is not necessarily the best tool for the job. The index finger is typically more dexterous and capable of making a more defined line. Perhaps that will be my litmus test. I'll attend the service, but if I see the thumb of the clergy and the uninterpretable symbols it makes, I'll simply walk away.