Joel 2:12-18
Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17
2 Cor 5:20-6:2
Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Full Readings
Rend Your Hearts, and not Your Garments
Brethren, today we start our annual observance of the Lenten period, a period of forty days, a time for intense preparation of our hearts (and bodies) to receive the light of the risen Christ on Easter. The forty days of Lent is the annual retreat of the people of God in imitation of Jesus' forty days in the wilderness while he was being tempted. Forty is a significant number in the Scriptures. Moses went to the mountain to seek the face of God for forty days in prayer and fasting. The people of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years in preparation for their entry into the promised land. Elijah fasted for forty days as he journeyed in the wilderness to the mountain of God. We are called to journey with the Lord in a special season of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and penitence (expressing true sorrow for sin and wrongdoing) as we prepare to celebrate the feast of Easter, the Christian Passover of Jesus' victory over sin, Satan, and death.
At the beginning of this period, on this Ash Wednesday, the Lord calls us to rend our hearts not just our clothing, in other words, to let our hearts be broken, not just our outside and external observances rites and rituals of lent. This is why we begin with signing ourselves with the ash on our foreheads not only to remind us that we are dust and into dust we shall return, but also as a sign calling us of our inner conversion and repentance, and to proclaim our communion with other Christians who, sinful like us, are seeking an interior conversion this Lenten season. This can only be done when we rend our humble and contrite hearts and allow God to transform us. Let us humbly echo the psalm response today, “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned,” and wear our ashes humbly as a visible sign that we follow Jesus.
With the same humble and contrite heart, and in secrecy with God alone, we are invited to to practice the four pillars of lent, that is, fasting, prayer and almsgiving. For these bear us fruits spiritually, Jesus invites us in the gospel not do them in a way of parading them so that everybody can see, rather to do them in the secrecy with our God, from deep inside our hearts, so that God who sees everything in secret will reward us abundantly. The focus here is on our relationship between ourselves and our father in heaven expressed in these good works. These pillars must be done not only by everyone who call him/herself a Catholic Christian but also by everyone, praying for the conversion of the whole humanity especially in the contemporary world where secularism marked by its evil acts and thoughts has taken a lead. But they must be done from the heart not showing off. And therefore brethren:
When we pray, when we pray, we should not be like hypocrites who pray in synagogues and streets, using many empty words to show off, but with contrite and humbled hearts, let us come into the presence of the Lord, in our aloneness, and God will surely listen to our prayers; when we give alms, let us not blow a trumpet, or give as a sign of showing off, but as Jesus tells us, let our left hands not know what our right hands are doing; when we fast, we should not look gloomy like hypocrites who want to show by appearance that they are fasting, let it be a spiritual exercise, which brings us near to God. Always remember our focus here is on our relationship between ourselves and our father in heaven expressed in these good works.
Today reflect and examine yourself and above all ask yourself: Why do you pray, fast, and give alms? To draw attention to yourself so that others may notice and think highly of you? Or to give glory to God? The Lord warns his disciples of self-seeking glory the preoccupation with looking good and seeking praise from others. True piety is something more than feeling good or looking holy. True piety is loving devotion to God. It is an attitude which stems from humility and which moves us to do acts pf charity, good works only our from our hearts and with deep humility. It is an attitude of awe, reverence, worship and obedience. It is a gift and working of the Holy Spirit that enables us to devote our lives to God with a holy desire to please him in all things (Isaiah 11:1-2). As you begin this holy season of testing and preparation, ask the Lord Jesus for a fresh outpouring of his Holy Spirit so that you may grow in faith, hope, and love and embrace his will more fully in your life. Rend your heart not your garments.
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, thank you for this time of prayer with you, and for clearly enumerating what will be best for me during this Lent. When I look at my face in the mirror and see the ashes on my forehead, I am reminded of my mortality, and that everything I have is an unmerited gift from you. Please know that I am grateful to you for my very existence and please my Lord may your grace guide men this Lenten period to rend my heart not my garments. Amen
Be blessed
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