The joy of Lent, goodness of God

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40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Ash Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Joel 2:12-18 ><))))*> 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 ><))))*> Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Our opening antiphon
of today's celebration of 
Ash Wednesday gives hint
of the joyful tone of our Lenten journey:
"You are merciful to all, O Lord,
and despise nothing that you have made.
You overlook people's sins,
to bring them to repentance,
and you spare them,
for you are the Lord our God."

Amid the shades of violet
to signify our confession of sin
and movement of repentance
is also a profession of our faith 
in your love, kindness and mercy,
O God our Father!
The joy of Lent is YOU,
O God our loving Father
who lavishes us with mercy
in Christ Jesus.

Thank you for calling us
to enter into this holy season
of Lent; let us not forget that
YOU are the center and focus
of this journey, never us despite 
the good works we all have to do
like praying, fasting and alms-giving;
YOU are the one whom we must please,
not people so they may return to you; 
YOU are not appeased by what we offer
and do; in fact, we are able to come to
you because you are "gracious and
merciful" - we have come to know you
by your concrete actions of love
and mercy, kindness and tenderness.

Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; 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.

Joel 2:12-13

Rend our closed hearts, O Lord;
tear apart the hard coverings of
bitterness and rejection,
doubts and mistrust
so we may open ourselves
to your coming in Christ Jesus;
strengthen our hearts so we may
come back to you in genuine conversion,
to be reconciled to you, O God,
for "now is a very acceptable time,
the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 5:20, 
6:2).

Grant us the right attitude of heart,
take away our vanities and hypocrisies
that neither deceive you nor fool people;
let us get inside ourselves to meet you
right inside us where you dwell,
waiting for us
to console us,
to refresh us,
to comfort us.
Amen.