Ash Wednesday: Return

The Prophet Joel tells us, “Return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning; rend your hearts, not your garments.”  (Joel 2:12-13, NAB) This “returning” is nothing less than turning around from the direction we were heading in and moving back towards God.

In the Gospels when Jesus begins his public ministry he often says, “Repent and believe in the Good News, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”  The word repent comes from the Greek word “metanoia," meaning to to think beyond one's own interpretation or vision, as well as meaning to turn around, to return.

Lent is that time when we have to stop walking in the direction we want and to actually turn around both literally and figuratively.   There are so many things we get caught up in life, many which we use as comforts, rewards, and outlets.  Often times those comforts are not healthy, be it overindulgence in drink, food, smoking.  Sometimes we reward ourselves by buying things, the latest cell phone, plasma TV, clothes, or whatever it may be.  The justifications we use are, “I deserve it, it’s not that bad, the Church is wrong on this one – we are living in the 21^st century, etc.”  Sometimes our justifications are more serious, i.e. I make the rules concerning marriage, divorce, and remarriage; matters concerning abortion or contraceptive use.  If one reads Scripture closely and pays attention then one will easily see that it is not some Pope or a bunch of Bishops making the rules up as they please, rather “the rules” if you will, come right from the lips of Jesus.  Start with the Gospel of Matthew!

I don’t simply point the finger, I too, and all clergy are also sinners who need to turn around, and trust me I like walking in my own direction sometimes.  I feel like I am in control, my way is better, I know what I’m doing – sound familiar.

Well, Jesus doesn’t leave us walking in our own direction for too long.  He keeps sending reminders, sometimes as little hints, like a whisper, other times, like today – Ash Wednesday a long and loud cry of, “Return to me.”  He does this to keep us on the right path.  We place those ashes on our heads not only as a sign to the world that we die to self and are united to Christ on the cross, but that we reject our own way, and walk his way, the way of Jesus. 

So my friends, return completely to the Lord, if something is holding you back surrender it to God, rely on God’s mercy and not your own strength, leave everything at the Cross, because in 40 + days we are going to take a long walk with Jesus on the road to Calvary and there will be no strength in us to carry around too much baggage because the Cross is heavy enough.  Leave it behind.  Turn around!  Walk towards Jesus!

FJ