Homily Ash Wednesday (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18) “It’s Not About Me”
Homily Ash Wednesday (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18) “It’s Not About Me”
“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Ash Wednesday will be a little different this year because of the ongoing pandemic. But has anything been normal the past year? Perhaps the way we are distributing ashes today will remind us what penance is all about.
All our life, we have probably approached Lent as a personal project. We decide what we wan to do to improve our spiritual life. Maybe we give something up. We might give up drinking for Lent for example. Children might abstain from chocolate.
Another thing we might do is spend extra time in prayer. Some people might say the rosary every day during Lent. Others might decide they are going to come to Mass every day. We could also come to stations once a week or watch online.
Still another penance might be that were going to give money to the poor. Perhaps we will take a Rice Bowl home and fill it up with coins as we live through Lent. We might also decide that as we go through Lent, we are going to be more charitable to others. We might decide that we are going to be more patient with the little annoyances of life. When we could be critical, we are going to hold back.
Now these are all good penances but is lent all about self-improvement? When we distribute ashes in a few moments we will say to the whole congregation, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” We will not say that to each parishioner as they come forward. We will simply sprinkle the ashes on each individual’s head silently. This might seem like a new twist, but really it is a more ancient practice. Tracing ashes on a person’s head is a rather new practice.
We should remember that Lent is as much about the church community doing penance together. The roots of this are in the experience of the nation of Israel traveling in the desert for 40 years before they entered the promised land. The Israelites did not trust God enough when they first escaped slavery. Only over time did they learn to leave other Gods behind. Only over time did they meld into a community that could function in a healthy way.
We are reminded when we fast today, as a church community, that we are traveling through life together. When we abstain from meat on Friday, we do so united as brothers and sisters in the Lord. We should encourage one another by our example and words to seek virtue, not sin. Our goal should never just be to save our own soul, but our goal should always be to love our neighbor enough to help them save their soul.
Reflection Questions:
- Is Lent about personal discipline? Does God need my sacrifices?
- Who have I encouraged in their Christian walk? Do I need to be more conscience of the welfare of my church community?
Dear Parishioners,
One of the Lenten activities the church engages in is the giving of alms. The money is ideally meant to help the poor.
The church community tries to give support to the Rice Bowl project. Some people might not be familiar with this activity. Cardboard containers are handed out on Ash Wednesday. Families are asked to put coins in the box and return the monies during Holy Week. This is a good way to teach children about charity.
The funds go to Catholic Relief Services. CRS functions around the world. In times of natural disaster, CRS is often one of the first on the scene. I would encourage everyone to participate in this good cause.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark
“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Ash Wednesday will be a little different this year because of the ongoing pandemic. But has anything been normal the past year? Perhaps the way we are distributing ashes today will remind us what penance is all about.
All our life, we have probably approached Lent as a personal project. We decide what we wan to do to improve our spiritual life. Maybe we give something up. We might give up drinking for Lent for example. Children might abstain from chocolate.
Another thing we might do is spend extra time in prayer. Some people might say the rosary every day during Lent. Others might decide they are going to come to Mass every day. We could also come to stations once a week or watch online.
Still another penance might be that were going to give money to the poor. Perhaps we will take a Rice Bowl home and fill it up with coins as we live through Lent. We might also decide that as we go through Lent, we are going to be more charitable to others. We might decide that we are going to be more patient with the little annoyances of life. When we could be critical, we are going to hold back.
Now these are all good penances but is lent all about self-improvement? When we distribute ashes in a few moments we will say to the whole congregation, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” We will not say that to each parishioner as they come forward. We will simply sprinkle the ashes on each individual’s head silently. This might seem like a new twist, but really it is a more ancient practice. Tracing ashes on a person’s head is a rather new practice.
We should remember that Lent is as much about the church community doing penance together. The roots of this are in the experience of the nation of Israel traveling in the desert for 40 years before they entered the promised land. The Israelites did not trust God enough when they first escaped slavery. Only over time did they learn to leave other Gods behind. Only over time did they meld into a community that could function in a healthy way.
We are reminded when we fast today, as a church community, that we are traveling through life together. When we abstain from meat on Friday, we do so united as brothers and sisters in the Lord. We should encourage one another by our example and words to seek virtue, not sin. Our goal should never just be to save our own soul, but our goal should always be to love our neighbor enough to help them save their soul.
Reflection Questions:
- Is Lent about personal discipline? Does God need my sacrifices?
- Who have I encouraged in their Christian walk? Do I need to be more conscience of the welfare of my church community?
Dear Parishioners,
One of the Lenten activities the church engages in is the giving of alms. The money is ideally meant to help the poor.
The church community tries to give support to the Rice Bowl project. Some people might not be familiar with this activity. Cardboard containers are handed out on Ash Wednesday. Families are asked to put coins in the box and return the monies during Holy Week. This is a good way to teach children about charity.
The funds go to Catholic Relief Services. CRS functions around the world. In times of natural disaster, CRS is often one of the first on the scene. I would encourage everyone to participate in this good cause.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark