Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Ashes on our Foreheads and Hope in our Hearts…!

Today is Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, people come to church on this day in large numbers and formally begin the journey of lent by applying ashes on their foreheads.

The Old Testament and New Testament refer to the use of ashes and sackcloth as signs of repentance. The prophet Jeremiah, for example, calls for repentance in this way: “ O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes” (Jer 6:26). Jesus, while talking about Chorazin and Bethsaida, remarked: “ Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes” ( Mt 11:21, Lk 10:13).

Ash Wednesday Practice for all believers started in the 10th century. Prior to that, ashes were given only to the public penitence. This was given to those entering the Order of Penitence. As time went on, others began to show their humility and their affection for the penitents by asking that they, too, be marked as sinners. Near the end of the 11th century Pope Urban extended the imposition of ashes to the whole congregation under the presumption that
“ all have sinned and all fall short of glory”.

What is Lent all about? Lent is a reminder of our mortality. Before God breathed into the nostrils of ‘Adam’ he was nothing more than a clay image. The breath of God raised him to the level of a living being. Without God’s life in us, we are dust. Naturally, Lent is a time to discover one’s status before God. It is a time for self -discovery. Our fall may be slow but steady. As in the story of the lost sheep (Lk 15: 1ff), at times we may not even be aware that we are drifting away from God. Sin progresses gradually. The story of the ‘Prodigal Son’ ( Lk 15: 11ff) gives a glimpse of the mechanism of sin. They are:-
• Selfishness : The son went to his Father and said: “Give me my
share”.
• Separation : By asking his share, he separated himself from his Father.
• Sensuality. : He went after worldly pleasures
• Starvation. : He looked around for food
• Subhuman behavior : He started eating with swine.

Lent is a time of self purification. Late is better than never. Our distractions tell us who we are and where we are. The Bible offers three spiritual tools for our purification: prayer, fasting and alms giving. They are not three independent entities but three aspects of the one and the same reality. Prayer is nothing but being with Jesus. In order to be with Jesus, we need to detach (fast) ourselves from material things. Whatever we may give up may help others to meet the necessities of their lives. Our detachment ( almsgiving) will benefit the needy.

Lent is a time for self-restoration. There is a beautiful passage in the book of Prophet Isaiah: “Do not remember the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not, I am doing something new, says the Lord” “ Your sins I remember no more” (Isaiah 43: 18, 25). God is a God of the future, not of the past. God wants to do something new in our life. In order to experience this newness that God promises we need to let our past go with all its bad and sad memories. We might have done awful things in the past. We may be still doing things that are unchristian, unethical and uncharitable. This is the time to break the chain of sinful habits. Brooding over the past memories of which we have no control do nothing good. They only paralyze our present. If God does not bother about our past sin, why do we? A person must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them. As every saint had a past every sinner has a future. Lent invites us to continue our journey focusing on Jesus with Hope in our Hearts…! Those who are in Jesus is a new creation. Lent is an invitation to climb the mount Calvary and have a vision of Mount Zion.

2 comments:

  1. WOW! Father Sebestian that was the best
    Lenten reflection I have ever heard. I am
    going to send this to some people at work and my family and friends in New York.
    (I hope that is OK) I am also going to
    print it out and carry it with me to read
    every day.
    Thank You

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  2. Often I find myself lamenting on the past.It is comforting and reassuring what the Prophet Isaiah tells us about God.To let go of transgressions and acts of omission and to move forward in faith and deed now makes the works of this Lental season seem simpler.Thank You Fr.Sebastian for this insightful and timely reflection, it was very inspirational. God Bless You...Tom

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