Ash Wednesday, 2019

Lent is upon us and the LORD again invites us to return to him with our whole heart, with fasting and weeping, prayer and charity. But, the Lord adds rend your hearts, not your garments, which is what Jesus tells his disciples: take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will received your cheap honor in this world and not your eternal reward in the Kingdom. We should not be self-satisfied or smug, the ashes we receive today do not mark us as holy, but as sinners.

 The black ash upon our forehead is also an acknowledgement of the impermanence of human life. So soon, dust returning to dust. We may be anxious and trouble by this but we do not despair because the ash is in the sign of the cross (Jesus’ cross and his victory over death).

His cross, but also the cross we bear with its own sacrifice and self-transcendence, repentance and conversion.  Receiving the cross is the sign of our commitment to the renewal of our life here and now that points to eternal life hereafter.

And so each of us are marked today not just because we have regrets and a changing of the mind.  Rather, we have come to our senses. We have come to rend our self-centered heart made in the image and likeness of the world. And to mend that heart anew, so it can love beyond itself.

 Today we pray in communion with the whole Church on earth and in heaven. Let us never underestimate the power of so many voices lifted up.  

But, let us continue to pray (in secret and silence) exposing our weakness, limitations and brokenness to the light of God’s mercy. Let us seek guidance and strength, courage and perseverance as we lay it all out before the Lord trusting in the infinite possibilities that his love holds out to us.

 Now, humble and grateful, let us receive the ashes that marks us for who we are and who we long to be.  The Spirit says, remember. Hidden within Lent, within our self-denial, penitence and repentance is the joy and glory of Easter.