HOMILY OF THE ASH WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY OF THE ASH WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: LENT IS HERE
BY: Fr. Paul Karabari
Joel 2:12-18, Psalm 51, 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2, Matthew 6:1-6.16-18
“Even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and tear your hearts and not your garments” (Joel 2:12-18)
By tradition, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent which is the oldest and most solemn season of the Liturgical Year. Lent is a teutonic word used for the forty days’ fast coming before Easter. It means 40 weekdays of spiritual renewal for the Lord’s Paschal Mystery (passion, death and resurrection) which we celebrate during the Holy Week.
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During this period, the Church leads us to accepting the Lord’s invitation to ‘return to Him with our ‘whole heart’, accepting God’s grace for “now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2Cor.6:1-2).
Today, there is an imposition of ashes as a symbol of Penance. It leads the path to conversion, repentance, penance and acceptance of God’s grace. We are reminded to ‘turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel’, ‘remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return.’ Lent is in the first place an appeal to conversation and repentance.
The use of ashes comes from Jewish culture of springing ashes on one’s head as a sign of Penance. We are encouraged to turn away from lifestyles that are incompatible and inconsistent with the Gospel; that make us slaves to evil. We are to aim for higher standard of living with Christ Himself.
The imposition of ashes with the words, ‘remember you are dust and to dust you shall return’ reminds us of our frail condition of life.
Our Mother Church gives us with the means to live the Lenten journey fruitfully: Prayer and Sacraments, fasting and abstinence (sacrifices) and works of mercy. In the Gospel Reading (Matt. 6:1-6, 16-18), Jesus warns us never to do good deeds for the sake of impressing people. This does not contradict the earlier command to let your light shine before men (Matt 5:16). Although Christians are to be seen doing good works, they must not do so simply to be seen. The emphasis is on the motives behind what we do.
Fasting is observed during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and mandatory for those 18-59yrs of age inclusive except for those with medical conditions. Abstinence from meat and poultry during fridays of Lent, mandatory for those who are 14yrs or older.
Here are three steps that we can quickly take for spiritual restoration:
1) Repent. Acknowledge your sin, renounce it, and seek the forgiveness of God. When you find yourself on the wrong road, repentance allows you to make a U-turn and head back in the right direction.
2) Restitution. When your actions have hurt someone, Jesus tells you what to do: ‘If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift’ (Matthew 5:23-24). If you want to walk in God’s blessing, follow His instructions.
3) Refocus. ‘But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord’ (2 Corinthians 3:18). We must be determined to be the image of Christ, leaving lifestyles that hinder us from growing into maturity in Christ.
It is only a tree that remains on the ground when it falls. We have all fallen but not meant to remain so. Let us listen to God’s call for us to return to Him with our whole heart, putting into practice the means we have at our reach so that this season of Lent may really be a time of interior conversion and repentance; a time of renewal. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God look upon us with mercy and grant us His salvation through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning
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