Ash Wednesday
(A day of Abstinence and Fasting)
Readings for Ash Wednesday[1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible at Universalis
Commentary:
The Lenten Season: The Lectionary readings for Lent fall into two basic themes broken into the first half of Lent and the second. In the first half, beginning today and running through the Saturday of the third week of Lent focuses on the model of discipleship. As we are confronted time and again with the demands of that call we come to understand that in spite of our best efforts, the call will always be out of our reach.
The second half of Lent the Lectionary shows us Jesus the Christ in the Gospel of St. John. We review his ministry, not so much as a synopsis, but rather to come to a closer understanding of the salvation He alone provides.
Taken together, the first half of Lent is ethical and the second is Christological. The first half empties us the second fills us up. At the end lies the great gift of Easter.
Reading 1 Jl 2:12-18
The land has suffered a great plague of locusts and Joel calls the people of Israel to repentance. He calls all the faithful to return to the Lord and have faith in him because they were in despair.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Supporting the lament in Joel, Psalm 51 provides a call to repentance as well. We acknowledge our sinfulness and vow to return to the grace of God.
Reading II 2 Cor 5:20—6:2
St. Paul calls the Corinthians to reconciliation with God. He reminds them that through reconciliation grace is received and through grace, God pours out salvation. His urgent call tells us that now (not later) is the time for this to occur.
Gospel Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
To begin our Lenten journey we are given the instruction on almsgiving, prayer and fasting from St. Matthew’s Gospel. We are reminded that what we do for God is for Him to see not for others to see.
In all three instances, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting the same instruction is given. We are to give generously but in private, we are to pray fervently but alone, and we are to fast with purpose but to hide our discomfort. (The section left out of this reading, Matthew 6; 7-15, is Jesus giving the disciples the Lord’s Prayer.)
Reflection:
Today we begin our Lenten celebration. During Mass we will be reminded once more to “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” or “Remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return”. These pronouncements are summaries of what the goal of Lent is meant to be. The readings give us the same message.
(A day of Abstinence and Fasting)
Readings for Ash Wednesday[1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible at Universalis
Commentary:
The Lenten Season: The Lectionary readings for Lent fall into two basic themes broken into the first half of Lent and the second. In the first half, beginning today and running through the Saturday of the third week of Lent focuses on the model of discipleship. As we are confronted time and again with the demands of that call we come to understand that in spite of our best efforts, the call will always be out of our reach.
The second half of Lent the Lectionary shows us Jesus the Christ in the Gospel of St. John. We review his ministry, not so much as a synopsis, but rather to come to a closer understanding of the salvation He alone provides.
Taken together, the first half of Lent is ethical and the second is Christological. The first half empties us the second fills us up. At the end lies the great gift of Easter.
Reading 1 Jl 2:12-18
The land has suffered a great plague of locusts and Joel calls the people of Israel to repentance. He calls all the faithful to return to the Lord and have faith in him because they were in despair.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Supporting the lament in Joel, Psalm 51 provides a call to repentance as well. We acknowledge our sinfulness and vow to return to the grace of God.
Reading II 2 Cor 5:20—6:2
St. Paul calls the Corinthians to reconciliation with God. He reminds them that through reconciliation grace is received and through grace, God pours out salvation. His urgent call tells us that now (not later) is the time for this to occur.
Gospel Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
To begin our Lenten journey we are given the instruction on almsgiving, prayer and fasting from St. Matthew’s Gospel. We are reminded that what we do for God is for Him to see not for others to see.
In all three instances, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting the same instruction is given. We are to give generously but in private, we are to pray fervently but alone, and we are to fast with purpose but to hide our discomfort. (The section left out of this reading, Matthew 6; 7-15, is Jesus giving the disciples the Lord’s Prayer.)
Reflection:
Today we begin our Lenten celebration. During Mass we will be reminded once more to “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” or “Remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return”. These pronouncements are summaries of what the goal of Lent is meant to be. The readings give us the same message.
In Joel, the prophet calls; “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart,” and in the Psalm we hear, “Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.” The same message of reconciliation and conversion is echoed in St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians; “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
All of these calls to holiness come from scripture and we ask; how shall we respond? The Lord answers in his sermon. He calls us to be a people who give generously of our material goods, to be a people of prayer, and to recognize our own failings and in a real way, through fasting, repent our sin and vow to return.
Today is a day of fasting and abstinence in the Church. We look will not be required to refrain from eating, and abstain from meat again until Good Friday, the day after Lent ends. Today we offer our hunger to those for whom hunger is constant. We offer our goods for those who have none. We offer our prayers for all peoples, that they too might turn away from sin and return to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Pax
All of these calls to holiness come from scripture and we ask; how shall we respond? The Lord answers in his sermon. He calls us to be a people who give generously of our material goods, to be a people of prayer, and to recognize our own failings and in a real way, through fasting, repent our sin and vow to return.
Today is a day of fasting and abstinence in the Church. We look will not be required to refrain from eating, and abstain from meat again until Good Friday, the day after Lent ends. Today we offer our hunger to those for whom hunger is constant. We offer our goods for those who have none. We offer our prayers for all peoples, that they too might turn away from sin and return to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Pax
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