Ash Wednesday Reflection

Br. Kevin Kriso, OFM, and Joe Aini offer their thoughts about Ash Wednesday. You're invited to share your thoughts and reflections.

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READINGS

Reading I: Joel 12: 12-18

Even now, says the LORD, 
return to me with your whole heart, 
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; 
Rend your hearts, not your garments, 
and return to the LORD, your God. 
For gracious and merciful is he, 
slow to anger, rich in kindness, 
and relenting in punishment. 
Perhaps he will again relent 
and leave behind him a blessing, 
Offerings and libations 
for the LORD, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion! 
proclaim a fast, 
call an assembly; 
Gather the people, 
notify the congregation; 
Assemble the elders, 
gather the children 
and the infants at the breast; 
Let the bridegroom quit his room 
and the bride her chamber. 
Between the porch and the altar 
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep, 
And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people, 
and make not your heritage a reproach, 
with the nations ruling over them! 
Why should they say among the peoples, 
‘Where is their God?’”

Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land 
and took pity on his people.

Reading II: 2 Corinthians 5:20 – 6:2 
 


Brothers and sisters: 
We are ambassadors for Christ, 
as if God were appealing through us. 
We implore you on behalf of Christ, 
be reconciled to God. 
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, 
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Working together, then, 
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 
For he says:

In an acceptable time I heard you, 
and on the day of salvation I helped you.

Behold, now is a very acceptable time; 
behold, now is the day of salvation.

Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 


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.”

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REFLECTIONS

By Brother Kevin Kriso, OFM

At a former ministry of mine, Ash Wednesday was our busiest day of the year. Being in a city, people would line up around the block to get ashes. It was an exciting day. The sheer number and variety of people touched my heart, little babies in strollers, tottering elderly, teenagers with acne, sophisticated office people, police officers, salespeople from department stores, homeless. It was a real cross section of humanity.

As excited and grateful as I was for this day, I was bothered by the question, “Where are they the next day or the next Sunday?” Maybe ten percent of the people who came for ashes also came for the Eucharist later in the week. I wondered why ashes which are described as a “sacramental” (with a small “s”) had a greater pull than the Eucharist which is a Sacrament (with a capital “S”? The Eucharist is, after all, the source and summit of our faith, they very Body and Blood of Christ. Ashes are, quite frankly, just dirt. Yet ashes had the greater power to pull people into Church, even if it was for just one day.

Some easy answers were given. One is to blame the people, “Well their priorities are all messed up.” Another was to blame “liberal” priests and sisters, “The reason for the lack of respect for the Sacrament is that is that these people are not stressing the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the importance of obligation.” There is probably some truth in these answers but not the entire truth.

Then someone else made the suggestion that maybe it is because everyone feels they are worthy to receive ashes, but not everyone feels worthy to receive the Eucharist. I think that was a bigger part of the answer. Maybe the way many perceive the message of the Church is that the spiritual life is mainly equated in following rules and laws. When many people measure their own lives against these rules and laws, they find they come up short. Instead of feeling encouraged to try harder, they feel their only option is to “opt out” of Church because they do not “want to be a hypocrite.” Church feels like it is for “holy rollers,” not a “real” flesh and blood person like me. So ashes seem to be an OK thing for real people to receive while the Eucharist is for that theoretical group of people who are “worthy.”

Interestingly enough, Jesus tried very hard to teach that the spiritual walk has more to do with love than rules. But somehow his message does not always come across. Even in the Guidelines for the Reception of the Eucharist it says that reception of the Eucharist is for people who are “properly disposed” to receive the Sacrament and “not conscious of grave sin.” Somehow that is interpreted as “you must be perfect” and the Eucharist is reserved for those who are perfect. Since this feels impossible, people “opt out” of Church. So as it is now, more people receive ashes than the Body and Blood of Christ. That is sad.

Hopefully, ashes can not only be seen as a sign of penance but also as a sign of hope. We can help pull each other up, to rise. We can remind each other that the love of God, not our conduct is what “makes us worthy.” God knows all about us and loves us anyway. Church is not for holy rollers but for people who know they are not perfect and are doing their best. Even after you confess your sins, you will probably end up sinning again. That’s just the way it is. Don’t worry about being a hypocrite. None of us are perfect and as Jesus said, “It is the sick who need the doctor.”

As a friend of mine who is in Alcoholics Anonymous likes to say, “God loves me just as I am. But God also loves me too much to let me stay that way.”

By Joe Aini

"Lord, as I walk through Lent I pray to love you in a more genuine way and to open my heart to what you want from me in this life you have given me. Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, "Unless we die to a lower life, we'll never rise to a higher life." Lord, although I know you love me for who I am, I pray for the light of your grace to help me move to where you want me to be.

Take my faults and transform them and turn them around to be ways that will lead to my salvation. I feel like I've burrowed myself into a hole of hostility where I brood over the hurts others have inflicted on me. I brood over my own shortcomings, my imperfections and ways I've failed to practice the Christian faith that I love. Change my brooding into forgiveness---toward others as well as toward myself, and transform my hostility to charity. Transform the daily frustrations I experience both at home and at work into patience. And help me to see others in the light of your love. Help me to love you in a new way.

Bless whoever reads these words and, as they read these reflections, renew their love for you so together we can rebuild the Body of Christ in this world. . . . "

(To share your thoughts, post a comment below on the Mountain's blog or on the Mountain's Facebook Page.)

(Mt. Irenaeus Web Site)