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s1S#77 Repent 3/20/22)
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the season of Lent, 40 days of preparation for Easter. The day is marked by fasting, abstinence, and the blessing with ashes. These remind us of the need for reconciliation with God. They indicate our mortality.
It was an early practice in Rome for penitents and grievous sinners to be sprinkled with ashes, dressed in sackcloth, and obliged to remain apart until they were reconciled with the Christian community on Holy Thursday. They were thus enabled to receive the Eucharist.
In the Old Testament, ‘ëpher (אֵ֙פֶר֙), dust or ash put on the head is a sign of humiliation and expression of grief (cf Tamar’s grief after she was violated by her half-brother, 2 Sam. 13:19). Ashes and sackcloth expressed contrition and sorrow for sins (Dan 9:3; Job 42:6; Jer 6:26), and with fasting (Jon 3:6,8). In the New Testament, Jesus mentions sackcloth and ashes, spodos (σποδός), as signs of repentance (Mt 11:21; Lk 10:13).
Gradually the practice of wearing sackcloth as a penitential obligation fell into disuse. Tracing the sign of the cross with ashes on the heads of the entire congregation began to be used regularly to symbolize the beginning of Lent. As the sign of the cross is made on the forehead, a dictum is said, either “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” (see Mk 1:15) or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (see Gen. 3:19).
The first formula indicates the need for repentance and reconciliation with God. The verb to repent ‘metanoeō’ (μετανοεω) literally means ‘to turn back/away’ [echoeing the OT word ‘shûb’ (שׁ֣וּב), cf 1Kgs 8:47, Is 59:20; Dn 9:13] which connotes not just a change of one’s mind or outlook but an abrupt about-face in moral conduct. This radical redirection signifies a new walking with God, ongoing in nature, in separation from sin, and a shift from a worldly path to an engagement with God. Thus in NT, it refers exclusively to ‘turning from one’s sins’ (Mt 3:2; Mk 1:15; Lk 13:3,5; Acts 2:38, 17:30, 26:30).
The second reminds us of our sinfulness and our mortality. Our existence can also be suddenly terminated At any moment, “life” may be “demanded” of us for scrutiny and assessment (cf Lk 12:20). There is a day of reckoning for all. We should learn from misfortunes that occur rather than feel that we are immune. As St Paul reminded us against overconfidence “…whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall”, (cf 1Cor 10:10-12). Now is the time to bear fruit. Every day is a gift and a moment of growth.
As we enter the season of Lent, let us bear in mind that it is characterized by penance for our past sins, works of mercy especially toward the poor, and personal preparation for the renewal of our baptismal vows on Easter. Our tears of penance renew in our hearts and souls the water of baptism. May our Lenten journey be truly penitential leading us to an authentic renewal of our Christian life. Amen!
