AletheiAnveshana

Wednesday, 14 February 2024

 

God gives and Forgives

Joel 2:12-18; 2 Cor 5:20—6:2; Mt6:1-6,16-18 (Ash Wednesday -B)

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit (Ps 34:18)

 

Today we celebrate Ash Wednesday, the first day of the liturgical season of Lent. In this season, we prepare ourselves to celebrate the high point of our Christian life, Easter. Today’s liturgical readings call us to a change of metanoia mind (heart) and teach us about the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The meaning behind tracing a cross on our foreheads with ashes reminds us of our origin and our death and the sign of our victory: the cross of Christ.

When we reflect upon the Lenten observances, such as prayer, fasting and almsgiving - the Christian's righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. St John Chrysostom says, “You may do good deeds before men, and yet seek not human praise; you may do them in secret, and yet in your heart wish that they may become known to gain that praise.”

The Lord Jesus gives us a model for our prayers—a prayer very different from the vain repetitions, though very short and simple it is very comprehensive and complete. This prayer teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and that all other things shall be added. After the things of God's glory, kingdom, and will, we pray for the needful supports and comforts of our present life.

Religious fasting is a duty required of the disciples of Christ, but it is not so much a duty itself, as a means to dispose us for other duties. Fasting is the humbling of the soul (Ps 35:13). This is inside duty of our being. Many of us take up foregoing dinners, breakfasts but what we are required all of us is to sacrifice the works of the flesh, “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness” (Gal 19:19-21).

Some of us also desire to take up charitable works. Now a days the charitable works are not considered to be very religious but philanthropic that is to be drawn between the lines of moral and humanitarian grounds. What is considered to be more noble is to forgive those who sin against us in the exemplary prayer of Jesus, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they do”. And we forgive other because we wish our sins be forgiven by God.  

The word “Lent” comes from an old English word “Lente” meaning “springtime”. It reminds us of spring-cleaning and the new life in nature during spring. This season of Lent is also a time of special grace for us in which we want to do some spring cleaning in our lives and enjoy new life as a result.

 

Patience is the companion of wisdom” St Augustine

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