Ash Wednesday
By Colleen O’Sullivan
Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with
fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and
return to the Lord, your God. For
gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in
punishment. (Joel 2:12-13)
A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within
me. (Psalm 51:12)
We implore you
on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
(2 Corinthians 5:20b)
Piety
Long have
I waited for your coming home to me
And living deeply our new life.
(from Come Back to Me, Gregory Norbet - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84Z5pBxtUuk)
Study
Most
years I go to Mass in the evening on Ash Wednesday. So I have no idea how, or
even if, that ashy cross on my forehead would impact others in my office or
anywhere else I might go. But I know
what it says to me as I look in the mirror preparing for bed.
I see the
ashes and remember the palms they came from, the palms the crowd waved as Jesus
entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Echoes
of the hosannas and other shouts of acclamation ring in my ears. But where were the crowds later that
week? No one waved palms, no one even
stayed awake as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane about what awaited
him. No one waved any palms, no hosannas
rang out, and no one even admitted knowing Jesus in the courtyard of the high
priest. No one waved palms on Good
Friday; very few people bothered to make the trek to Golgotha with Jesus.
These
palms-become-ashes are a reminder to me of the many ways in my life I have let
Jesus down, denied him, or betrayed him.
The ashes are an ancient symbol of the need for repentance and
atonement. I don’t like to wash them
off, even as they bring me to awareness of ways I have distanced myself from
the Lord, because, at the same time, I hear God calling: Come
back to me. Even now, no matter what
you’ve done or how far you’ve strayed, return to me with all your heart. I am gracious and merciful. I look forward to your homecoming with
joyful anticipation. I am waiting to
embrace you, to kill the fatted calf and celebrate your return.
Action
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. We are invited to use the next few weeks to
divest ourselves of whatever keeps us from being able to accompany Jesus on his
journey to Jerusalem, to be with him through his passion and death, and to
share with him in the joy of his Resurrection.
There are a multitude of ways to observe Lent –
fasting, prayer, and giving to the poor are three that Jesus mentions in
today’s Gospel reading. You could give
something up to make more room for God in your heart or you could decide to do
something extra.
There are also many online retreats you could use
in your Lenten prayer. A few suggestions
from the Ignatian tradition: The
Ignatian Workout for Lent: An Online Retreat - http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/lent/the-ignatian-workout-for-lent-an-online-retreat/;
An Ignatian Prayer Adventure - http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/an-ignatian-prayer-adventure/;
From Ashes to Glory - http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/from-ashes-to-glory/;
Sacred Space Lenten Retreat - http://www.sacredspace.ie/, then click on
“Lenten Retreat” in the middle of the page; and Praying Lent 2014: An Online
Ministry of Creighton University - http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/.
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