Ash
Wednesday
Joel 2: 12-18
2 Corinthians 5: 20-6:2
Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18
“Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly; gather the
people, notify the congregation…” With
these words the Prophet Joel calls his people and people of all ages to
repent. But this call cannot be for show;
it has to be a sincere contrition – a real change of heart. If it is sincere
then we will once again receive forgiveness from our loving God.
Part of sincere contrition and
conversion is that we try to improve. The gospel for Ash Wednesday tells us that one
way of making improvements in our lives is to practice the time honored
disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
But as Jesus tells us these disciplines are not for show or to gain
praise from others. We do “good” because
it gives honor and glory to God. Lent is
a time to retreat and take stock of our lives, making sure that the love of God
is visible in everything we do. Prayer,
fasting and almsgiving are great helps in this process.
By growing in our relationship with God
we truly become, as St. Paul says in today’s second reading, ambassadors for
Christ bringing God’s love and forgiveness into our world. The first step in this process is to repent
ourselves. Lent can be a new beginning for all of us. As Captain Picard used to say on Star Trek –
“Make it so!”
By Fr. Bill Kramer
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