Homily: Ash Wednesday

Readings: Joel 2:12-18; Ps 51; 2 Cor 5:20-6:2; Mt 6:1-6,16-18
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Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J.

Gerard Manley Hopkins, the 19th Century Jesuit poet, frequently corresponded with the poet laureate of England, his friend Robert Bridges. In one of these letters, Bridges, an agnostic, asked Hopkins how he could learn to believe, expecting, I suppose, some deep theological answer.

Hopkins replied in a letter with only two words: "Give alms."

What a wonderful answer! Even though it was probably lost on Mr. Bridges. You see, in his own search for truth, a search that ultimately led him to the Catholic Church, Hopkins had learned something most people never grasp. He hoped to show his friend that the love of God is experienced most fully in our love for others.

Only in loving others that we recognize and experience the source and being of all love.

Only in loving others can we see in every other person the divine image.

Only in loving others can we come face to face with Jesus. 

How did Jesus put it? 

"...whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me" [Mt 25:40].

But Jesus didn't stop there, did He? For in today's passage from Matthew, He tells us not only to give alms, but to take it a step farther, to do what doesn't come naturally: He tells us to give alms in secret.

Imagine that? Being charitable but telling no one. Taking no credit for the good we do? No bows, no bouquets, no recognition, no thanks. Why, it's almost inhuman. Well...actually...it is inhuman, because it's what the Father wants, and He will repay us.

As we begin this Lenten season of repentance, this season when we look forward to the joy of Easter, let's remember that in giving up we're also called to give. But real almsgiving is a giving of ourselves, a giving of time, a giving of talent, a giving of our presence to others in need...

...to those who are ill and suffering

...to those who hunger and thirst, not only for food and drink but for the Word of God

...to those who are dying and afraid, who need the touch and reassurance of another

The opportunities are all around us, brothers and sisters. The question is: will we respond? Will we be the ambassadors for Christ that Paul says we are?

But Jesus talks about more than almsgiving, doesn't He?

He also calls us to prayer. And here too he tells us to act in secret, to withdraw from others, to pray to the Father in the intimacy that comes from contemplative prayer.

Public prayer, the faithful coming together, as we assemble here today, is a necessary and holy act. But as Christians we're also called into an intimate, personal relationship with God. Now that certainly takes place through the Communion we experience through the Eucharist. Indeed, can anything be more personal, more intimate?

But this relationship must also be continually reinforced through prayer, through the private prayer commanded by Our Lord. This is the kind of prayer that leads to the interior transformation for which we strive during Lent.

And that's not all. Jesus continues by telling us to fast; and here, too, He urges discretion, to fast without ostentation, to avoid praise.

Once again we're in conflict, because the world admires only the spectacular, even when it comes to sacrifice. It places little value on hidden and silent sacrifice.

The Church, then, following Jesus' command, fasts during Lent.

As a worldwide community of faith, then, we give alms, we pray, and we fast.

We recognize and turn away from our sinfulness.

We reject self-absorption and greed, hate and despair, and once again heed the first call of our baptism.

Pope Benedict, on the day he announced his resignation, wrote few words on his Twitter account:

"We must trust in the mighty power of God's mercy," he said. "We are all sinners, but His grace transforms us and makes us new."

Yes, we are all sinners, and only God's grace can transform us. Only through God's grace can we do as the Prophet Joel proclaims: "Rend your hearts..." [Jl 2:13] allowing God to tear open the secret places of our hearts so He can enter and be present to us. 

"Rend your heart..."

To rend our hearts: to see ourselves as God sees us, to let Him shows us our innermost being. And that can be a scary thing, to come face to face with the real me, to come to an understanding of who I really am. For whom do I live?  Do I live just for me, or do I live for the God who brought me into being? 

To rend our hearts: to open ourselves up to others because God's infinite love demands it.

To rend our hearts: to perform the great works of Lent - almsgiving, prayer and fasting.

Yes, we are all sinners, but we are still called to mirror God's love and forgiveness in our own lives. 

Lent is an opportunity to share in and alleviate the sufferings of others. But Lent is also an opportunity to be forgiven for our refusal to forgive; to be cured of our secret pride and hatreds.

"Repent, and believe in the Gospel" [Mk 1:15].

Moments from now, as your forehead is marked with the sacramental sign of ashes, you will hear those words of Jesus. 

Yes, indeed, we are called to repent and to believe the Good News, the promise of redemption, the gift of eternal life. 

We need only open our hearts to God's healing presence.

Wildwood Soup Kitchen Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Last evening the Wildwood Soup Kitchen had its annual volunteer appreciation dinner, a time when the soup kitchen's board of directors thanks all the volunteers who make this ministry possible. It's also an opportunity to provide a brief recap of the previous year and inform our volunteers of any plans and changes that might affect them in the coming months. We gathered for the dinner at a local church -- New Covenant United Methodist Church -- that has the capacity to seat our large crowd of volunteers.

Although we took advantage of the church's professional cook to prepare the meal, he was ably assisted by members of the soup kitchen's board who also served and cleaned up afterward. And so the volunteers could share a delightful meal -- one they didn't have to cook and serve -- and could actually sit down together and engage in real conversation. This is not something we normally get to do in the midst of the organized chaos involved in the daily preparation, delivery and serving of 250 meals. It was a lovely evening.

We now have close to 150 volunteers, including cooks, kitchen helpers and servers, drivers, bakers, and a host of others who handle such tasks as writing the newsletter, buying food and paper products, maintaining the volunteer database, updating the website, fund-raising and more...much more. It's quite an operation and the fact that we accomplish so much without a single paid employee always astonishes me. But I am even more astonished, and thankful, that we do all this solely through the generous contributions of individuals, businesses, churches, neighborhood groups, and civic organizations. We receive no government funds and are still able to serve and deliver nearly 70,000 meals each year. It is truly God's work and He should receive all the praise and credit for what He has enabled us to do in His name. Remarkably, our volunteers represent nearly 30 area churches, men and women who come together not to focus on their differences but to accomplish what the Lord has called His disciples to do.

Every so often I am asked to speak about the soup kitchen to local organizations, and I always begin with that wonderful passage from Matthew 25:35,

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me..."

It's a passage we at the Wildwood Soup Kitchen have adopted as our guiding vision. And when I explain that, so long as they come in peace, we welcome everyone who comes to our door, no exceptions, I can usually expect someone to question this policy of unconditional service: "Don't you think that some of those people who come for a meal really don't need it, that they're just scamming you?" I always respond by saying, "Yep, there are probably a few, but that's not our worry. We let God take care of it. He just told us to welcome them and give them a meal, not to check their tax returns. And, at least so far, He's given us everything we need to do His will."

I also found the timing of the dinner to be perfect. The evening before Ash Wednesday is a good time to reflect on Jesus' call to alms-giving, prayer and fasting. It's a good time to recall why we feed the hungry and why we welcome the stranger who seeks our help. As Christians we don't do these things because they make us feel better about ourselves; we do them for God's greater glory.

Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomine tuo da gloriam -- Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory -- Ps 115:1]. These are wonderful words to keep in mind as we make this year's journey through Lent to the glory of Christ's Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Praise God in all things.

Ashes?

Here's a timely cartoon from the Catholic Cartoon Blog...

Ash Wednesday Once Again

Another season of Lent has officially begun and I find myself looking forward to the next 40 days. I need Lent, in the same way a thirsty man needs a glass of water. I need this time of introspection, this time of renewal, this time to set things right, to ask for God's help in recreating my damaged relationship with Him. For me Lent is a time to strip away the layers of accumulated grime that I allow to build up on my soul -- you know what I mean, all that worldly and personal stuff that keeps me from focusing on the one important thing: God's enduring love. 

And so, as I sit here in the quiet of this Ash Wednesday morning, I begin Lent filled with hope. Our loving, merciful God has given us these 40 days of renewal and His Church provides us with the sacramental means to bring about the change Jesus Christ demands of us. And Jesus does demand change. He doesn't merely suggest it. We are His disciples, and He expects us to follow Him. And His expectations are clearly related in the Gospels.


Perhaps the best way to begin Lent, then, is to reread the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7) and recapture the essence of our Christianity, to realize once again what Christ asks of us. In rapid-fire succession, Jesus shares with us one eternal truth after another. He tells us how to live, explaining the Father's will for us. Being "perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect" [Mt 5:48] is no easy command to fulfill, but this is what we called to be. We cannot even approach the Father's perfection on our own, and God knows this. That's why He gives us His Holy Spirit, our guide, our advocate, our strength. We are called to pray in the Spirit for the perfection of the Father, even though our prayer itself is less than perfect. As St. Paul reminded the Romans, "....the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings" [Rom 8:26].

And so, as we listen again to the words of Jesus, and are reminded of our many failings, we can take comfort in the knowledge that "for God all things are possible" [Mt 19:26]. He wants salvation for all of us. He wants all of His children with Him for eternity. We need only turn to Him, open our hearts to Him, and allow His Spirit to work in our lives. Once we abandon ourselves to God's love, determined to do His will, He will provide the means to lead us to the perfection He wants for us.

As for me during this Lenten season, in addition to "giving up" the usual things -- desserts, a glass of wine in the evening, etc. -- I intend to renew my prayer life, calling on the Spirit for His help and guidance. I also intend to forgive. That's right, I need to forgive a lot of folks for a lot of things, some small, some not so small. I also need to ask forgiveness from those I have hurt and from God Himself. Forgiveness, you see, is at the very heart of our Christianity. If one doesn't forgive, one cannot be a Christian. Jesus included forgiveness as a key element of our prayer when He said to His disciples, "...forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" [Mt 6:12]. Not content simply to tell us to forgive, Jesus provided us with the perfect example of forgiveness from the Cross when He prayed, "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do" [Lk 23:34].

As Catholics we have the gift of God's forgiveness through he sacrament of reconciliation. What a blessing this is! Take advantage of it during this Lenten season, and taste God's merciful, forgiving love.