Ash Wednesday
Joel 2:12-18; 2 Cor 5:2-6:2; Mt 6: 1-6, 16-18
I would like to share with you this morning two words, or rather two images which I hope you might find helpful to accompany you throughout the day or perhaps even throughout the whole Lenten season.
The first image is that of THE ASHES. They signify repentance, conversion. We will here this word conversion repeated over and over again throughout lent. It means first of all that we are to turn away from all that is sinful and keeps us distant from God and from one another. At the same time it is also a turning towards, a definitive turning towards God. Just as a traveler pauses every now and then to take stock of his route plot afresh his or her journey, in the same way, lent calls us to pause and to review our life. Where am I now? Where do I want to be? How am I going to get there? A good confession in lent is essential. There is never a shortage of sins to confess: suffice to think of not only the ten commandments, but also the beatitudes, the virtues of love, hope and charity. In today's reading, St Paul says, "Be reconciled to God!" The ashes that we put on our forehead are wiped off very quickly but this word conversion must be ever-present in our mind. So, the first image is the ashes, and the word associated with it, conversion.
The second image I would like to share with you is THE HEART. Not only because it is St Valentine's day, but even more importantly because we have heard reference to it in the first reading. The Prophet Joel says, "Rend your hearts not your clothes." Jesus does not explicitly mention the heart but what he is basically saying is, the external sacrifices, or prayer or alms-giving must not be something superficial to gain favour with others, but they must be coming from the heart. For the ancient Jews, the heart was the seat of all passions and emotions. Our actions must flow from our heart and the effects of our actions must be felt in our heart. For example, when I fast, that experience of craving for something to eat must make me conscious of my deeper desire for God, and of the many times that I replace this desire for God with material and superficial things. At the same time it helps me become aware of all those in the world who hunger and thirst for justice.
May these two images, the ashes and the heart accompany us throughout this Lent so that these 40 days of penance may not be wasted but leave precious and long lasting fruit in our heart.
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