Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:12-18

Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy.

Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.

Psalm 51:3-6, 12-14, 17

For I know my transgressions,    

and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you alone, have I sinned,    

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you are justified in your sentence    

and blameless when you pass judgment.Indeed,

I was born guilty,    

a sinner when my mother conceived me.

You desire truth in the inward being;    

therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,    

and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,    

and sinners will return to you.

Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,    

O God of my salvation,    

and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2

Brothers and sisters:

We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,

“At an acceptable time I have listened to you,    and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”

See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

(NRSVCE)

Meditation

Our readings unmistakably point us to the nature of God who is love. God is always forgiving and ready to forget the sins of our past. He desires mercy. He just wants us to be reconciled. He knows our faults and he also knows he can heal us. He does not want to punish us.

We have already been redeemed. The work on our part is to follow the Lord intimately and personally. If we do that and spend time learning from him and focusing on his Word, we will surely find the spiritual growth and strengthening to carry us through on our mission.

God is love and cares for us individually. Even if it feels late, God invites us and keeps inviting us to turn to him. So we rejoice in this season of Lent and are thankful, as we ask for greater intimacy with Him.