Christians, especially Catholics, will be receiving Ashes on their foreheads today as a sign to all that Lent, a time for penance, transformation, conversion, deepening of a relationship with Jesus and preparation for the renewal of baptismal promises on Easter, has begun. The Gospel read today emphasizes the need to pray, give alms, and sacrifice in "secret" so that the God who sees in secret will reward us in secret. The need for "secrecy" seems contrary to the public display of Ashes, be they blessed or not. So, why Ashes?
Well, they remind us first of all that indeed we are "dust, and to dust we shall return." They also remind us that we are sinners and need this time to repent and try to live the Gospel better than we have been living it. The Ashes don't make us holy, but they remind us that the next 40 days need to be devoted to becoming holy through the means suggested in the Gospel. This is the focus, rather than trying to "show off" or call attention to ourselves. We're calling attention to our "self" to buckle down and do something concrete to build up our union with God by becoming more like Jesus.
Bro. Rene
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