Ash Wednesday
Today’s Gospel projects a simple message that sets the pace for the Lenten season: humility. Jesus tells His disciples to “not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” As disciples of Christ, we must be keenly aware of this. Lent is a season of humility; it is a time
of reflection and penance, as well as a time to take up our crosses. And as Jesus reminds us, when we bear these crosses, we do it not for show, but instead in anticipation of the coming of our Lord. We must be, as Paul writes to the Corinthians, “ambassadors of Christ.”
Make no mistake, this will not be easy. Elsewhere in Matthew’s Gospel we are reminded that “whoever wants to save his life will lose it.” We must deny ourselves and step out of our comfort zone during Lent. Maybe this takes the form of giving something up, or devoting more
of your time to a cause, or simply making more room for Jesus in your life. Regardless of what we choose to bear this Lent, a sudden change in our day to day lives is difficult. But it is equally an admission of our own humility before our God.
When we do these things, when we do penance, all in silence, we fully anticipate the coming of our Lord. As we humbly serve God this Lent, we prepare to wash away the stain of sin with the glorious Resurrection at Easter. Therefore, let us put our own interests aside during these forty days to serve others and contemplate our relationship to the Lord. And as we hear His voice in the coming weeks, let us harden not our hearts.
Prayer
Loving and Merciful God, as we embark on our Lenten journey together, allow us to deny ourselves, so that when the day comes we may gain the Kingdom of Eternal Life.
James A. Downs, ’22
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