It was not long ago that it was
announced in a parish that the diocesan bishop would be coming to the parish on
a pastoral visit. This great event of the bishop’s visit once in four years due
to the large size of the diocese was marked with a great preparation. There
were renovations within the Church premises, decorations, clean ups, etc just
to prepare for the great event of the bishop’s visit. This is an indication
that most often, important and remarkable things do not just happen without
serious preparations. For an ordination and profession to take place there must
have been a period of formation, for graduation, a period of scholarly
involvements, serious academic struggles and scholarship, for marriage, a
period of courtship and even for Christmas, a period of advent.
Therefore, the Church as the Vehicle of Salvation has also deemed it wise to
prepare Her members for the re-enactment of the Sacred Mysteries of the Death
and Resurrection of Our Lord. That is why today being “Ash Wednesday”, we are
launched into this great season of preparation we all regard as the Lenten
season or period.
Today’s liturgy has
two special characters: repentance and preparation. These special characters
have several implications for us. In the first reading (Joel 2:12-18), we are
presented with the character of repentance. Repentance implies a return to God
which a sinner makes after committing sin. Christianity therefore adopted this
meaning. Thus, in repentance, the sinner abandons his old and evil way of life
and returns to God in a new and holy way of life. That is why the first reading
asks the bride and bridegroom to leave their clove and bedroom, and the priests
and ministers of the Lord to turn to the Lord and lament for Him to spare his
people. In repentance we turn away from sin, turn to the lord, admit our
faults, confess our sins and ask for His pardon.
To make us more conscious of the need for repentance, the Church adopts from
the Jewish culture, the sacred use of ashes. That is why in this Mass, the
ashes from the palm fronds blessed last palm Sunday will be blessed and applied
on us. These ashes remind us of our nothingness before God who we rebel against
by our sins. It also reminds us that we came from dust and shall return to
dust. When it is applied on us, it also depicts sorrow for our sins just as the
Ninivites did. For these reasons, today is called Ash Wednesday.
The gospel reading (Mt. 6:1-6,16-18) presents us with the second special
character of preparation. Preparation in this context means making someone or
something ready for something better. Within this period of lent, we are to
make ourselves ready to die with Christ that we may rise with him at Easter. To
do this, the gospel reading presents us with the three pillars of a perfect
Lenten observance: prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Jesus therefore warns us
never to practice them like the hypocrites always seeking for people’s
recognition. Rather, we should do them in secret so that our Father who sees in
secret will reward us.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, are you resolved to abandon your old and evil
way of life to embrace a new and holy way of life? Do you feel the need to
repent of your sins because of your nothingness before God? Who knows whether
this is the last opportunity you have to refrain from that sin that you are
addicted to before it destroys you? We cannot claim to be perfect, a sincere
introspection will always make us guilty of something we can repent of. Though
God is merciful, He is just and repays each man according to his deeds but this
is one of such moments when God’s mercy triumphs over His justice. He is
waiting for the repentant sinner just like the father of the prodigal son, not
to condemn him but to grant him pardon and acceptance (cf. Luke 15:11-32).
How are you preparing yourself for the Lenten observance? Only those who die
with Christ by suffering themselves within this period will rise with him into
a new life at Easter. Why not take up something to do. Have you seen those
around you who need help? They are the means of grace when you help them. Have
you been weak in your prayer life? This is the best time to take it up as a
challenge. Have you involved yourself in an inordinate relationship? This is
the best time to refrain from it and detach yourself from all worldly things. You
can fast from food at least on Fridays and also, from those things that give
you pleasure especially sin. Deny yourself of something and offer it up to God.
Do not be afraid as you plan to do these things. You can really do them because
the second reading (2 Cor. 5:20-6:2) has assured us that God has given us the
grace to do this, so do not neglect this grace. You can always sustain it with
prayers. Therefore, as the reading says, now is the favourable time and the day
of salvation, with this grace, work out your salvation in fear and trembling.
God loves you.
– Uwakwe Chibuike MFC
No comments:
Post a Comment
DISCLAIMER: Comments, remarks and observations are allowed to enable my readers freely express their opinions concerning issues raised in this post. However, while I recommend the observance of the rule of courtesy for every comment, comments on this post do not in any way express my personal opinion. They are strictly the opinions of those who made the comments.