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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