Ash Wednesday
Dear
brothers and sisters,
Each
year on this day as we enter into the penitential season of Lent, we hear Jesus
say to us, “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect
their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting…” (Matthew 6:16). Then, just a few moments later, we usually receive ashes directly on our
foreheads in the sign of the cross. This custom has always struck me as directly
contradictory to the command of the Savior that we “not appear to others to be
fasting” (Matthew 6:18).
We
have all heard homilies attempting to reconcile our practice with Jesus’ words,
but all of these attempts have failed. The main reason given for our practice
is so that we might be a sign of contradiction to the world by bearing the
ashes on our foreheads, and this is true as far as it goes, but it still stands
in stark contrast to Jesus’ words.
The
use of ashes on Ash Wednesday began in Germany “in the tenth century; it spread
to Italy and finally to Rome in the twelfth century. It was only in the
thirteenth century that the papal liturgy used ashes with the pope himself
submitting to the rite.”[1] The use of ashes as a sign
of repentance from sin goes back, of course, much further than 1,100 years ago.
It is a common practice we find throughout the Old Testament. For example, in
the First Book of Maccabees we read, “That day they fasted and wore sackcloth;
they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their garments” (I Maccabees 3:47). This year we have the opportunity to imitate those who went before us so
very long ago.
We
are accustomed to the priest blessing the ashes and they saying to each individual
one of two admonitions – either, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” or “Remember
that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” - before tracing the ashes
upon our foreheads in the sign of the Cross. This year, however, will be different.
The Holy See, in response to the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic, has
directed that the priest is to say one of the admonitions to everyone at the
same time and then to impose ashes not on the forehead, but on top of
the head without saying anything.[2]
As
you come forward to receive ashes, I would ask that you bow your head as a sign
of repentance. This will also help me be reach the top of the heads of some of
you who are taller than me.
This
will look and feel differently for you and for me, but we can use this change
to our usual practice to better focus on what Lent is all about: an interior
change of heart through an acknowledgement of our sins and repentance from them
so that the Lord may give us back the joy of salvation (cf. Psalm 51:14). Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment