Wednesday, March 2, 2022

 

Ash Wednesday

 (Joel 2:12-18; II Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18)

 The forty days of Lent correspond to the forty years the Israelites roamed in the desert.  They started by fleeing slavery in Egypt.  So are Lenten pilgrims.  People today, as always really, are enslaved by sin.  They may not be able to name their sins and sometimes are unaware of its presence.  For this reason as well, sin is described as darkness.

The sin that lurks about like the odor of cigarette smoke is selfishness.  People strive to satisfy their own needs without concern for others.  Few these days would give their seat to an elderly person, much less to a woman.  People want their opinions heard and their feelings salved.  Yet they can be oblivious to the same desires of others.  God is neglected in a world of narcissism.  Focusing on the self, many cannot recognize God’s incalculable goodness.

Fortunately, the Church sets aside for us these forty days to deal with our sins.  We are to “rend our hearts” for considering mostly our own needs.  Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving reorganize our priorities in favor of God and others.  We become “reconciled to God” by determined efforts to put behind us our selfish ways.