“In an
acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold,
now is the day of salvation.” These are
the words from the second reading of St. Paul’s 2nd Letter to the Corinthians
for Ash Wednesday. These words are for
all of us on the whole, for all who respond to grace, but they are also words
to us individually, God speaks to me, directly to me.
The voice of
God comes to us in many ways, it comes to us in His Sacred Word, it comes to us
through others, through nature, it comes to us in our conscience, the voice I
hear deep down inside of me calling me to everything that is good, pure, and
filled with light.
But I also
know that part of me that is weak, broken, and sinful. The side that desires the promises of the
flesh, be it prestige, pride, riches, lustful cravings, dishonesty, broken
promises. This is a reality and don’t be
fooled into thinking that there is no sin or that I am not responsible, if that
were so then Jesus died for nothing and we could all simply save ourselves, but
St. Paul is clear, “Now is the day of salvation.” It is not something I initiate on my own. It is Christ who did that on the Cross and
continues to do as He calls out to us each and every day.
The beauty
of the Gospel is in the Lord’s patience even with the worst of sinners. No matter what I have done I can come forth
and reach out to the Lord and He will lift me up, because I can come to Him
with the heaviest of burdens and cry out to Him, Lord, have mercy on me, a
sinner!” He immediately reaches down and
pulls me up, back to the light and out of the darkness I have created.
We will
receive ashes on our foreheads today, but that is just the symbol, the symbol
must take root down inside of me to repent and believe in the Good News, the
Good News that I am loved and that the Lord gives me His salvation, today,
right now – right here, because, “I have heard you and on the day of salvation I
helped you.” FJ
No comments:
Post a Comment