A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (6:1-6, 16-18)
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
REFLECTION: Today, we begin our Lenten journey, not with a bang of a celebration, but with a stark reminder: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Or also, “Repent and believe in the Gospels.”
We come forward to receive ashes, as a public sign of repentance. Ash Wednesday is a not about looking holy; it is about being honest with God. It is the beginning of a forty-day journey, from a sound practice of faith to a deep, interior, and hidden relationship with God, our heavenly the Father.
In our Gospel today, Jesus gives us three practices, which are the heartbeat of Lent; when give alms, when we pray and when we fast. Jesus also warns us; “do not be like the “hypocrites” meaning, do not turn these practices, into performances.
With regards to almsgiving, Jesus says; “…do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,” This means, that our charity should be about love, not about applause, or a tax deduction. Ash Wednesday reminds us, that we are dust—we don’t own anything, everything we have, is God’s. We are only administrators, of what He lends us.
Next, Jesus says of when we pray; “go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.” Lent is not about reciting long prayers on street corners, to show off our spirituality. It is about quiet, intimate conversations with God, in private. This can help us, create space in our busy lives, so we may listen, to the whisper of the Holy Spirit. Then, Jesus says about when we fast, “…do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.” Fasting is not a “hunger strike” to gain attention. When we fast from food, or social media, or gossip, we are telling our bodies—and the world—that our ultimate satisfaction, does not come from things, that are temporary, but from God alone.
Ash Wednesday is not to look for the validation of others. We are looking for the gaze of the Father, who sees everything in secret. The ash on our forehead is not a medal of honor; it is a mark of our dependence and need of a Savior. When we live this truth, we stop trying to impress people, and start letting God be God, to help us with our heavy hearts.
ACTION FOR THE DAY: As you enter the season of Lent; perhaps with the sign of the cross, still on your forehead, invite the Holy Spirit in to your heart, to help you take in, the message of today’s Gospel, and let this Lenten journey be, about a deeper, truer love for God.
AUDIO REFLECTION:
