Ash Wednesday
At a Scout Sunday Mass recently, I was sitting with a few of the Jewish Scouts in our troop trying to guide them through our liturgy. These young men were very attentive in the liturgy. They saw many connections between our liturgy and the Jewish Sabbath Service. After the Mass, the oldest scout surprised me by asking, “Why is your religion so fear based?” My look must have articulated my question, “Why fear?” The scout answered that between the crucifix and the continuous references to the Lord’s mercy it seemed that our faith is based on fear.
While I still ponder his question, the arrival of Lent gives my answer more clarity. Ironically, it is rooted in today’s reading from Joel, “Rend your hearts, not your garments and return to the Lord for gracious and merciful is he.” (Joel 2:13ab) Certainly we believe in a loving God who is gracious and merciful. Yet in this Lenten season, indeed throughout our whole faith journey, we are called to examine and renew our spiritual life. Yet to do this, demands that we are aware of our own sinfulness. Our awareness in turn can help us return our attention to God. This process of turning around is not to be taken lightly as Joel suggests; “rend your hearts, not your garments.” There is nothing superficial about this imagery.
Catholics, for the most part, seem to utilize Lent in a way that seems the opposite of superficial. This is why we enter into counter-cultural disciplines. Indeed on the first day of Lent, we put Ash on our heads as a sign of humility. This sign reminds us of the community of Nineveh that was challenged to repent and return to the Lord. Like fasting, prayer and almsgiving, ashes remind us, the created, that we are small and dependent on the creator. It does not take long in a materialistic culture to forget our dependence on the Lord. That is why the church, in her wisdom, celebrates this holy season with rituals that shrink self importance and grow in our hearts the significance of the love of our Lord. This season is a process that challenges us to die to self so that in an emptied state we to will move from the death of Good Friday to the New Life found fully in Christ’s resurrection. This Lenten process allows us to set aside our own spirit so as to unite our hearts with the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf.
While the Lord’s sacrifice was painful, his love for us helped him endure Calvary. What are the fears that sometimes hold us back from loving the Lord? Lent is a time when many Catholics give up or do something extra to better unite themselves to the Lord. Has the Lord been calling you to give up or do something specific? Have you been failing to hear the Lord’s call because it may “rend” your heart? Take courage and fully enter into this season of conversion. Enter fully into these seasonal disciplines, not so that you might impress your neighbor, but so that you might be fully reconciled with God.
"Lord, rend our hearts this Lenten season that this forty day journey makes us turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel; thus making us ambassadors for Christ reconciled to You. Amen.
-Michael Montgomery