Today we are entering a new Season, one of penance and sacrifices. Together, we have gathered here to celebrate “Ash Wednesday,” the first of forty days of the Lenten Season that precedes Easter.
On this special occasion, we are called to be reconciled to God. Through the sacramental of ashes that is symbolic of penance, we are reminded that we as sinners are but dust and ashes. [Gen. 18:27]
Today, in preparation for the joy of Easter that approaches, we call upon the mercy of the Lord Jesus, asking Him for His blessings and forgiveness. For the Heavenly Father does not want us to die but to live with the risen Christ who reigns forever and ever. As such, through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we prepare ourselves to celebrate the death and glorious Resurrection of Christ our Savior by being cleansed from our sins through a renewal of spirit.
The spiritual practice of applying ashes on oneself as a sign of sincere repentance and goes back thousands of years. Frequently in the days of the Old and the new Testament, as we have heard from the readings of the Scriptures, when someone had sinned, he cloth his body with sackcloth and covered himself with ashes. [Jer. 6:26]
The sacramental that we are observing today arises from that custom, the spiritual practice of observing public penitence.
Church history tells us that the liturgical practice of applying ashes on one’s forehead during the Lenten Season goes back as far as the eight century. This was accompanied by different forms of fasting, prayer, sacrifices, charity towards others, etc… The writings of the Church fathers tell us that during the Lenten Season, they exhorted the faithful to abstain from certain food to fulfill with their fasts the Apostolic institution of forty days.
As we heard during today’s First Reading from the Book of Joel, the Lord God calls upon us to return to Him with all our hearts, with fasting, weeping and mourning. We are told to split apart our hearts, not our clothing.
In the days of the Old Testament, many tore their clothing as a sign of repentance. But, while some tore their clothing, this was an exterior sign; there was no true repentance. Their hearts of stone had not changed! They had not let go of their worldly ways to embrace holy ways. To practice sincere repentance, the Lord God tells us to change our hearts. We are called to examine our most inner self, those evil ways that we have to let go, once and for always. It may happen to us as well, we receive ashes on our foreheads, we make our Lenten resolutions, spend more time on prayer maybe read a good spiritual book, decide to go to confession, stations of the cross or Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, come back home from church and during the five weeks of lent nothing changes.

For many people today what stands between them and God is noise.

Noise is a terrible thing and it’s everywhere. Why is it terrible? Because it threatens to drown out the voice of God and even the thought of God.

There are two noises I am thinking of especially. The noise that comes out of us and the noise that comes into us.

The first noise is talking, visiting and gossiping and sometimes it goes on and on. We have to do something about that noise.

Maybe it would be good to see people walking about during this Lent with a tape over their mouth. That would stop at least the noise that comes out of us.

The second noise is made by such things as television sets, radios, computer games, computers, the books we read, and so on. Looks like some people cant stand silence anymore. These noises are much easier to turn off than the first – usually a press of the button will do it.

When we succeed in lowering the noise level of our lives we will begin to hear things and think things and hope things we thought we’d long ago left behind. Then we can begin our Lenten exercises – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – but quietly.

No trumpets, no long faces, no standing on street corners.

We must always remember that the Lord God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not punish us if we are sincere and turn away from our sins. God is not a God of punishment but a God of love to those who strive earnestly to walk in His righteous ways, but we have to ask ourselves for how long God has to wait, for me to be sincere and finally do it.
As the first reading reminded us, our sanctification in the likeness of Christ is not for just a few people. It is for all those who have placed their faith in Christ on the day that they received the Sacrament of Baptism. We are told to assemble the aged, to gather the children, and even the breast-fed infants. This is a very powerful command that includes everyone, of all ages!
This is the time when the ministers of the Church beg the Lord, asking Him on behalf of the people, to show His mercy upon them. This is the time when the ministers of the Church remind the Lord of His promises made to Abraham, our spiritual father, that we will inherit the promised land, the eternal Kingdom of God.

During today’s Second Reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians, we heard St. Paul appealing to us on behalf of Jesus to be reconciled to God.
God the Father sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us on the cross. He who was without sin took our place and was treated as a sinner, so we might become righteous in the eyes of God.

The Lord God reminds us that He heard our cries that were raised to Heaven. He has helped us to secure our salvation. Now is the time for us to show our appreciation to the Lord God by walking in His righteousness so we may inherit the salvation that we have asked of Him and which He is granting to us through His infinite love and mercy.
How do we walk in righteousness? Jesus answered that question during today’s Reading from the Gospel of Matthew. It is not by continuing in our worldly ways. It is by embracing a spiritual mind so we may mature in Christ by the grace of God the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus warns us against hypocrisy, those who are pious so others may see them. They have received their rewards through those who admired them and praised them for it. For them, there is no reward from God the Father in Heaven. During the Lenten Season, our piety must manifest private time between the Lord God and ourselves. We must experience a transformation of our whole being beyond going to Church. We must walk with Christ in our lives every minute of the day, from the time we raise in the morning until the time we go to bed at night.
Equally, when you sacrifice by giving to the Church or by reaching out to someone in need, your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing. Do it privately and then forget about it.

If you decide to increase your time of prayer during the Lenten Season, remember that Jesus is here in the church in the real presence 24 hours a day, most of the time by Himself, come and be with Him for an hour.  Come for Stations of the Cross, remind yourself about the cost of our salvation, so the Heavenly Father may see you and reward you accordingly.
If you decide to fast, fast to the degree that you can manage, always being cheerful and looking healthy so no one but God will know that you are fasting. God the Father will reward you.
Be reconciled to God, maybe you did not go to confession for some time, Lent is the time to do it! These are the guidelines that the Church has received from God so the faithful may experience true repentance in order to receive Divine mercy and forgiveness.
Ash Wednesday is a beautiful beginning of a beautiful season of Lent, but if it is only a beginning and nothing happens after, nothing fallows it is not worthy much.

Just another empty ritual! Nobody is rewarded for a beautiful start, if you don’t even make an effort to continue and finish the run. It is a beautiful start, nothing more.

Lent is a special time of renewal. Set out eagerly, as the prophet Joel says, with all your heart. During the next forty days:

• Pray with loving attentiveness to the God who sees you.
• Give to those who are poor and who need you.
• Fast from all that tempts you to forget your littleness and need for God.

Don’t be alarmed if you should fail. Get up and keep going.

Make a decision to go to Reconciliation sometime during this season of purification.

Trust that your efforts will be pleasing to the Lord.