Category: Uncategorized

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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

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Gospel: Mark 9: 30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it. 
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men 
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” 
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?” 
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest. 

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,   
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” 
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,   
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“What were you arguing about on the way?”

Mark uses this phrase, “on the way,” repeatedly to reference Jesus’ journey towards Jerusalem, giving it a double meaning.

On the surface, Mark is referring to the physical journey Jesus is making. But on a deeper level, he’s also referring to Christ’s spiritual journey towards Calvary.

As Jesus tells his disciples plainly in today’s Gospel, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him.” 

Jesus knows what will happen to him once he reaches Jerusalem. Yet, he never turns away from it.

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Imagine carrying the weight of that knowledge in your mind, knowing that once you cross a certain line, life as you know it will end. 

For example, if I said to you, if you cross the Pennsylvania line, then you’ll perish. How many of us would run away or drive in the opposite direction?

It’s self-preservation 101. Avoid all unnecessary danger.

But Jesus doesn’t. Day by day, step by step, he teaches in synagogues, heals the sick, and prepares his disciples as they journey “on the way” to Jerusalem. In that sense, he carries the weight of his cross long before the wooden beam is laid upon his shoulders.

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Tomorrow, we begin our own 40-day Lenten journeys, which will include fasting, almsgiving, and prayer.

At times our journey may feel like a steep climb; we may be tempted to give up, to give in, to turn around. But Jesus persevered, and in honor of him, we should, too. 

How can we make this Lent count? In what ways can we take the road less traveled? 

Persevering through these 40 days will make us stronger disciples, ready to welcome the Lord at Easter.

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Image credits: (1) Lent, Transforming Center (2) Jesus Triumphal Entry, Crosswalk (3) Feathers for your Journey

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Gospel: Mark 9: 14-29

As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John
and approached the other disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him,
the whole crowd was utterly amazed.
They ran up to him and greeted him. 
He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
Someone from the crowd answered him,
“Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
He said to them in reply,
“O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.” 
They brought the boy to him.
And when he saw him,
the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around   
and foam at the mouth. 
Then he questioned his father,
“How long has this been happening to him?” 
He replied, “Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,
“Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again!”
Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.
He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!”
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
“Why could we not drive the spirit out?”
He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Mahatma Gandhi, who was considered by many to be one of one the leading religious and moral voices of the 20^th century, was intrigued by Christianity and wanted to know more about it.

One Sunday morning, he approached a church in Calcutta, India, but was turned away by the ushers at the door. “This church,” they said, “is for whites and high-caste Indians only.”

Gandhi was neither.

Walking away, he said, “If it weren’t for Christians, I’d be a Christian.”

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In today’s Gospel, a man is searching for Jesus, because he believes that Christ has the power to cast out an unclean spirit from his son.

But cannot find the Lord. Jesus is away on a high mountain, praying with three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John.

The other nine disciples are left at the foot of the mountain to speak and act on the Lord’s behalf. So, they try casting out the unclean spirit from the boy, but are unable to do so.

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What makes this story shocking is the fact that the disciples have already cast out unclean spirits; earlier in the Gospel, Jesus sent them out on mission and they were successful.

But now, it seems, they’ve lost their power. And worse, their poor example drains this man’s faith.

By the time Jesus arrives, this father doesn’t say, “Lord, I believe you can help us!” But, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us.”

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Much like the ushers who rejected Gandhi from entering the church – physically and spiritually, the disciples prevented this man from deepening his faith in Jesus.

Both stories remind us that all Christians are ambassadors for Christ. 

Whether it’s something small like welcoming a stranger, or something larger like casting out an unclean spirit, much of what we do either leads others closer to or further away from Christ. 

May we lead them closer to God today.

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Image credits: (1) GoalCast (2) Transfiguration, Raphael (3) Jack Hayford Ministries