Ash Wednesday
(Joel 2:12-18; II Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18)
There is an apparent contradiction between what the Church
practices and what the gospel proclaims today.
Ashes symbolizing penance mark the heads of Catholics even though Jesus
tells his disciples to fast without announcing it. Nevertheless, the gospel and the ancient
custom can be reconciled.
Much depends on the spirit of receiving ashes. Most people come for ashes seeking to give
testimony of their faith. They want to
tell their associates that they believe in Christ. Done in this way, ashes are hardly a false sign
of piety. Rather, they are part of an
effort to evangelize. More important,
however, is the fact that Catholics wear ashes only on Ash Wednesday. The other days of Lent they are to do penance
without drawing the attention of others.
Most importantly, we must take to heart the purpose of
penance. We fast, pray, and exert ourselves
on behalf of the poor to repent of our sins.
All of us, as St. Paul indicates today, have failed to give God due
praise, thanks, and obedience. We may
ignore our daily prayer or spend family time focused on our telephone. Now is the time to amend our ways. As Paul says, “now is the day of salvation.”
