Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:12–18; Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2; Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18

The Meaning of the Lenten Season

Dear friends, today we begin the Lenten season, an extraordinary moment for Christians. During the Lenten season, Christians commemorate the passion and death of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of humanity from the slavery of sin and eternal damnation. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of 40 days of prayer, fasting, repentance, and almsgiving that prepare us for Easter. It is also a day of obligatory fasting for those above 18 years and under 60 years. During all the Fridays of the Lenten season, we pray the Stations of the Cross to remind ourselves of the suffering that Jesus underwent to save us.

When fasting, one can have one full meal in the day and two other small meals that do not together make a full meal. The law of the Church says, “Fast on Ash Wednesday and do not eat meat on Good Friday.” Many Christians avoid eating meat during all the Fridays of the Lenten season because they remind themselves of the passion and death of Christ, just as Good Friday does. Fasting is not only limited to reducing one’s food intake but also to fasting from bad behaviours that separate us from God and neighbour. If you fast from something for an entire 40 days, it is very likely that in the end you may not have an appetite for it anymore. Have you tried to do so?

The Lenten season is also a time for increased prayer, especially focused on repentance and seeking God’s mercy for our shortcomings that make us stray from His presence. Finally, and most importantly, the Lenten season is preparation for Easter, the most important celebration for all Christians, when Jesus conquered death and won us eternal redemption.

Fasting, praying, the application of ashes, and almsgiving are all external signs and symbols of repentance. “Bodily fasting by itself is meaningless if it is not accompanied by spiritual avoidance of sin” (said St. Basil of Caesarea). How are you planning to spend this opportune season? The prophet Joel is asking us to tear our hearts and not our garments. If we are truly repentant and willing to change, God is merciful, slow to anger, and compassionate. Humanity has hurt the world in many ways, including the destruction of the ecosystem. During this Lent, you can repent by planting a tree to restore natural order.

Praying does not mean frequenting the Church only during the period of Lent. It rather means a conscious and deliberate attempt to be reconciled with God and neighbour. It is a time when we pray for ourselves, others, and the world. St. Paul reminds us that we must be ambassadors of Christ to others. Constant prayer increases our consciousness of the presence of God in and around us, hence helping us to act justly. When we forget or suppress the presence of God, we turn to evil ways without feeling a pinch. Jesus reminds us that the most effective prayer is the one made in secret, heart-to-heart with God, not shouted in public spaces for everyone to see. How do you pray?

Ashes are a sign of repentance and penance. In the book of Jonah, chapter three (not today’s reading), we read that the people of Nineveh wore sackcloth and sat on ashes as a sign of repentance after the warnings of destruction by the prophet Jonah. The king also declared a fast for all the people, including the animals (Jon 3:6–9). Ashes also serve as a reminder that we are taken from dust and unto dust we shall return, but our souls shall rise for judgment (Gen 3:19). When we were born, we were naked and without any possessions other than our own body and soul. When we die, our lifeless bodies will be buried in the dust, and a few months later, we will rot into dust once more. This is also a good reminder for us in our day-to-day undertakings not to boast of our human achievements or glory while trampling others under our feet. What would you change in your life if you knew today when you would die?

Almsgiving is a sign of solidarity that we learn from Jesus Himself. We do not help others because we are rich, but because it concerns us that they are in need and we can help. We all need help at one moment in our life or another, including when we die—we need people to bury our rotting bodies and pray for our souls. When we give alms, we are urged to do it in a dignified manner. We must always preserve the dignity of those who help us. Do you go telling everyone how you helped someone?

Dear friends, many aspects of our lives need healing: families divided, friendships broken, communities polarized, societies wounded by injustice and greed. Lent offers a timely opportunity to repair what can still be repaired while time is still given to us.

Have a blessed Lenten season.

Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD