We welcome all of you to Mass today at the beginning of the holy season of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Two years ago, most of that time period of Lent was spent during the first year of the pandemic. Last year, we here in the Jackson area had a bad ice storm where most of us could not leave our houses all during the whole week. We were completely iced over here on our hill, and I could not even get down our parish property. If you are like me, we are all really looking forward to a good Lent this year. We are so glad you are with us today.
The three central acts for the devout Jew in they way he lived out his faith were prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The only fast actually laid down in the Mosaic law was that of the Day of Atonement, which Jews now celebrate during Yom Kippur. However, in later Judaism, the practice of regular fasting was common. The Pharisees also fasted regularly as a part of their practices. For Jews in Ancient Israel, almsgiving often went to the anawim: the widows, the orphans, and the strangers in their land. They were consisted of the poorest and most neglected and most vulnerable in society. And prayer - we all know how central that is to Jewish life.
For Christians, too, these three Pilars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are all proper to the Lenten season. All three can profitably be incorporated in some way into our lives during these six weeks. In our Gospel from Matthew today, which we always hear at the beginning of Lent, we hear Jesus talk about these practices that are central to the season of Lent. We are not to do them for show or for outward appearance or in a spirit of righteousness. We are to do them as actions of faith between us and God. These actions will help us in conversion and renewal on our own journey of faith. These actions are also to help others and to be a witness to others. In that spirit, our collection today on Ash Wednesday will go toward our outreach programs here at St Jude.
In our homilies this season of Lent, we will highlight the importance of expressing gratitude and giving thanks in our lives, something that does not seem to be emphasized very much in our secular world today. One of my favorite quotes about gratitude comes from German Dominican priest Meister Eckhart, who was born in the middle of the 13th century. Meister Eckhart very famously wrote: “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” We will be having gratitude quotes and reflections on gratitude sent out to all of you each week during Lent. We will also encourage you to pray the examen prayer each evening, reviewing your day and giving thanks to the Lord. On this first day of the holy season of Lent, it might be good for all of us to pray to God in gratitude and thanksgiving in our own words and our own style, thanking him for our many gifts and blessings. That would be a wonderful, positive way of starting this holy season today.
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