Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, an important opportunity to reflect, pray, and prepare for Easter. Receiving ashes today is a humble reminder of our sins, but also God’s mercifulness and forgiveness.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls upon us by saying “When you give alms... When you pray… When you fast…” and this really resonated with me. Jesus wasn’t saying if you do these things, it’s when you do these things, it is a call to action and it's to do them for yourself to move closer to God, not for show. This made me reflect on when the last time was that I contributed to those in need or sat down and deeply prayed. Oftentimes, I feel overwhelmed by the busyness of life, and I forget to take a moment to myself to pray deeply, to think about how I can live out the Gospel, and tune into God. This is not an excuse, but a realization to continue strengthening my relationship with God even in the toughest of times. I am taking this Lenten season to develop a stronger connection with prayer through different means and find more ways to give my time and resources to others.
Lent provides us with an opportunity to start or restart our faithful ambitions. If we seem to wander away from our path, the first reading reminds us we can always return to the Lord with our whole heart. Today, as we begin our Lenten journey, let us be reminded that Jesus died for our sins, and that we should be engaged in strengthening our faith and moving towards God’s calling for us.
Prayer
Merciful God, cleanse us from our sins and forgive us as we grow closer to You through giving, fasting, and prayer. Amen.
Alexandria Lembo, ’21
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