Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

Joel 2: 12-18; Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:20; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Paul implores us to be “reconciled with God”, that is,to no longer be strangers with God. But after two years of a pandemic it seems that it might be more appropriate that Paul implore us to no longer be strangers from ourselves and from each other.

Some people we have not seen in many months, others, or even we ourselves, have drifted away from relationships, friends and from the Church. The pandemic has really brought to the surface the depth, or lack thereof, of what we thought were friendships and commitments but really weren’t.  Honestly, how many people in our lives are really acquaintances?

A good that is coming out of the pandemic is that it is making us honest. It has revealed to us the truth about our relationships and commitments to other people, to God, to the Christian community.

As I have often remarked, for all the ways we have to communicate, we do so little real communication. How much of our conversations are surface, having no real substance? Our conversations reveal little about the depth of ourselves. And we don’t dare talk about politics and religion because we are so polarized and cannot listen to a person with a differing position without judgement and prejudice or respect. Yet how can we not talk about religion and politics: the needs, aspirations and future of our communities and eternal life! The two most important aspects of human living. But as it is, we have abandoned such speech. And now more and more people are moving to areas of the country where people only think like them. No need to have ideas our challenged for reconsideration, garnering insights or to simply change our minds. Walls instead of bridges; strangers instead of relationships.

“Be reconciled with God!”? Yes, that is true, we need to not be strangers with God. So we all need to reflect and examine our consciences and pray the Sacrament of Reconciliation during this season.

But alongside that journey with God, maybe Lent we need even more to also be reconciled with ourselves.

Do we even know ourselves?

How estranged are each of us from who we really are as a person? How much do we not admit to about ourselves? If we do not accept ourselves for who we are, are not aware of or honestly acknowledge our gifts, our mortality, or our shortcomings, then how can we offer our self to another person? How can we have conversations of depth? How can we not be strangers to other people because we are a stranger to our self? How can we make commitments that have depth and substance, when there may not be much substance and depth to how we live our lives?

Paul reminds that God made Jesus to be sin, who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ. In other words, Christ became out false, unacknowledged, estranged self so that we can live fully and honestly in truth and hope.

A truth arising from a pandemic? The dead rising from the grave?