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Gospel: Mark 6: 1-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Less than a month ago, people around the globe tuned into the 2022 Winter Olympics. Some of the greatest athletes the world has ever known walked into the Olympic Stadium to the tune of their national anthems, carrying their flags with pride.
For years, these athletes dreamed of glory. And for a select few, they found it. Those countless hours of training, highly specialized diets, and nights without sleep were for something: a golden medal fastened around their neck with a ribbon.
Olympic athletes remind us that competition is written into the human spirit. We all desire glory – and these athletes trained for it.
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Two weeks ago, the Olympics came to a quiet close as the world moved on, turning its attention to what became the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Suddenly, those athletes – and the records they held – faded unceremoniously into the annals of history.
Their hard work will soon be forgotten. For many, it already has been.
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Herein lies the wisdom of Ash Wednesday.
That ugly black smudge of ash smeared onto our foreheads reminds us that time is passing, that history will swallow all of us up, that death – my death – is coming, and I know neither the day nor the hour.
And not only me; everything and everyone will eventually return to dust:
…this church we are praying in…the people I have loved… these clothes I’m wearing… these hands that wrote this homily… those prestigious gold medals earned at the Olympics…even those tanks belligerently crossing borders…
Everything and everyone is returning to dust.
What, then, are these ashes telling us? Should we seek earthly glory – or worldly power – while we’re able, like so many who’ve gone before us? Or is there a wiser path to take?
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Saint Paul tells us, “These athletes train for a perishable crown; but we for an imperishable one.” As Christians, we train for the greatest crown of all: the crown of eternal life.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us how to win that crown: pray, fast, and do penance.
When we pray, we strengthen our relationship with our Father in heaven, the God who created us out of love, the one who knit us together in our mother’s womb, the One who will make us rise again.
Simultaneously, prayer deepens our communion with our brothers and sisters around the world who are reaching out to the same God, praying for peace, hope, and security.
When we fast, we remind ourselves that our deepest hunger is neither for bread, nor power, nor gold, but for God.
When we perform acts of penance, we’re reminded of our own weakness and our need Christ’s healing touch.
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Christianity is the most demanding path of all, for the only way up is down; if we are to rise with Jesus, then first we must die with him. That begins by walking the path of humility, self-denial, and love.
And it continues by admitting that we are dust, and to dust we shall return.
But thanks be to God that is not the end of our story. The day will come when we shall be called by name, and we will walk together across that heavenly stage, proclaiming the words of Saint Paul:
“I have competed well; I have finished the race. I have kept the faith…All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me … and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.”
May we compete well – and encourage one another along the way, because, unlike war, Christianity is not a zero-sum game; everyone wins.
And the reward could not be greater.
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Image credits: (1) Beijing Winter Olympics, The Open University (2) High Mountain Church (3) Pinterest