Ash Wednesday is full of joy. The source of all sorrow is the illusion that of ourselves we are anything but dust. - Thomas Merson Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
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Joel
2:12-18
Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17
2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven.
So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the
synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you
fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’
Reflection on the Scriptures
“Return to me with your whole heart…” Within the sacred antiquity of our Salvation History, a living history, we are
summoned to return to God with our WHOLE hearts. We are ushered into the liturgical season of Lent. What do these readings offer us for a foundation to spend these 40 days in awareness and in anticipation of the Triduum? The Gospel, Jesus, teaches of fasts, prayers, alms, and repentance. What else do we hear? This is a holy season as God yearns for us to return, renew, or to repair a relationship with the Holy One. It is a time that reminds us of our mortality as well as the immense love of our Creator. The relationship between creature and Creator is a focal point. What does that relationship look like for each of us? For our world? Of our sinful, mortal selves and global realities? -by Candice Tucci, OSF
The Imitation of Christ, Thomas A. Kempis https://amzn.to/40FrikB Paperback and Kindle versions available BOOK
ONE: Thoughts Helpful in the Life of a Soul
The Fourteenth Chapter: Avoiding Rash Judgments
Many, unawares, seek
themselves in the things they do. They seem even to enjoy peace of mind when things happen according to their wish and liking, but if otherwise than they desire, they are soon disturbed and saddened. Differences of feeling and opinion often divide friends and acquaintances, even those who are religious and devout.
An old habit is hard to break, and no one is willing to be led
farther than he can see. If you rely more upon your intelligence or industry than upon the virtue of submission to Jesus Christ, you will hardly, and in any case slowly, become an enlightened person. God wants us to be completely subject to Him and, through ardent love, to rise above all human wisdom.
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