We come today as children of God to begin our holy season of Lent, a season of conversion and preparation. Ash Wednesday is one of our busiest liturgical celebrations of the year, with people packing our churches just like they do on Christmas and on Easter, which tells us of how the significance of this holy day speaks to us on our journey.
As Jesus calls us to prayer, fasting, and works of charity in our Gospel today, the three important disciples of Lent, we hear Paul state in his second letter to the Corinthians that we are called to be ambassadors for Christ, calling our brothers and sisters to be reconciled to God in the name of his son, Jesus Christ. But, in order to truly be ambassadors for Christ, this holy season of Lent calls us to reflect upon the role of Christ in our journey of faith and the renewal and conversion in Christ to which we're called. Today, Ash Wednesday, begins this holy season as the Church invites us to look more deeply into our lives and to ask ourselves if we are truly living our vocation as disciples of Christ according to the call we receive from God. We are called to look at our prayer life, to see if our prayer experiences are leading us in deeper communion with Christ, letting his presence come forth in our words and our actions. We are called to look at the fasting and sacrifices we willingly undertake in our faith, how our excesses are becoming obstacles for us on our journey of faith. We are also called to look at our works of charity and generosity, how we reach out to others in mercy, kindness, and love, how we are serving God and serving our neighbor in our lives. We are called to forgiveness during this holy season of Lent as well. Forgiveness can be one of the most difficult things we do as human beings. I love this simple quote from the English poet Alexander Pope from the 18th century: "To err is human; to forgive, divine.” If we can explore the important lesson this Lenten season that only with God’s help we can truly forgive, that will be an important learning for us during these weeks.
But, to be a true disciple of Christ and a true ambassador of Christ, we are not to strive toward this ideal on our own efforts and own merits. The Holy Spirit is with us today on Ash Wednesday and during the weeks of this holy season to lead us, guide us, and transform us. We are called to take let the words of the psalm today truly penetrate our lives during his holy season: “A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.” But these weeks of Lent are not to be doom and gloom. Lent can truly be a season of Gospel joy where we open our hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Again, let us heed the advice of our psalm today, as we ask God to give us the joy of salvation and his spirit to sustain us today on Ash Wednesday and in the weeks to come.
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