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Gospel:
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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Ash Wednesday is a penitential day, reminding us of our need for conversion. As the prophet Joel urges us in our first reading, “Return to the LORD with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning; rend your hearts, not your garments.”
Every time we turn on the news, we see the effect that sin has on our world. Whether it’s yet another video of a missile being fired into an apartment home, a school, or even a nursery in Ukraine.
Or the unfathomable earthquake in Syria and Turkey that claimed the lives of 46,000 people… followed by the aftershock on Monday morning.
As Saint Paul says, “all of creation is groaning in labor pains… waiting to be set free.”
Meaning, sin is mysteriously stitched into our world – even into the earth itself – causing heartache and wreaking havoc.
But not only in faraway places. As one Russian novelist put it, “If only it were all so easy. But the dividing line between good and evil cuts through every human heart.”
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We gather here to pray, not only for the world around us, but also that we ourselves would be set free from sin, and inwardly changed this Lent.
In what ways does sin have a hold on me? Why do I need to repent?
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Acknowledging our sins – and striving eagerly to overcome them – is only part of the picture.
While prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are necessary, the penitential nature of Ash Wednesday – and Lent at large – must be balanced with the anticipation of the joy of Easter Sunday.
Remember, the first word that Jesus says to his disciples after the resurrection is, “Peace.” In Hebrew, “Shalom.”
Shalom means wholeness; harmony; stillness. It implies that something has been broken, and restored.
In many ways, “shalom” describes what Lent, and our Christian journeys, is all about. It’s about acknowledging where we are broken, then allowing the Lord to slowly make us whole.
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When you step forward and a minister traces a cross of ash on your forehead, take seriously the words: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
Humbly acknowledge those areas in your life where sin has its stronghold. But rejoice, knowing that God has come to save you.
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Image credits: (1) Church of the Little Flower, Ash Wednesday (2) Faithward.org (3) Journey to Shalom