6 March 2019 - an acceptable time

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.

When we receive ashes on our foreheads today we do not display them so as to brag about ourselves or even about our Church. It is no great merit on our part to receive them. They would be offered to anyone who walked in for them. Ashes signify our weakness. They tell the world that we, yes, even we who are Church-goers, are sinners that need conversion. They are not holier-than-thou. The are rather the opposite. For all intents and purposes we know our need of conversion the deepest and so we assume we have more need of repentance than others.

We are called to give alms, to pray, and to fast. But we are not called to do these so as to win the praise of others, or to be seen by others, or to appear to others to be fasting. We are doing something in secret so that the Father who sees in secret will repay us. We are like the seed which grows, we know not how (see Mark 4:27), so deeply buried is it in the soil. To the extent possible we don't even dwell on these practices ourselves. If possible our left hand has no idea about the alms our right has given. We may wonder, without even that awareness, can such deeds make a difference? This sort of thinking is incipient pride. Rather, we are actually drawing near to God when we practice prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The degree to which we hide ourselves from ourselves in the process allows this closeness to God be magnified.

But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.

By our ashes, we recognize our need. By our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we turn away from ourselves and toward God who is rich in mercy. 

Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.

Jesus himself is our path to the righteousness of God. He himself is the hidden room in which the Father hears and delights in our prayers. It he who offers what is hidden to the Father, ensuring that the grace God gives us is not given in vain.

For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, 
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

We see in Jesus one who was always concerned with his Father's will above all else. He was always motivated by the love of his creatures. He was never driven by pride or vainglory and united with him we can be the same.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.