Feb. 13, 2013: Ash Wednesday (C)

At one of the funerals, I was asked to carry the urn with cremated remains of the deceased person in the procession. As I was walking in, I could not help but think, 'Is this what will remain of me when I die?'

We will hear as we receive ashes one of two bits of scriptural wisdom. First from the Book of Genesis: "You are dust and to dust you shall return" (Gen 3: 19). It is a sober reminder of our present human condition; despite all the effort on this earth to make something of ourselves, all that will remain of us will be the dust of our bones. All that we accumulated throughout our lives will end up in someone else's possession or in a landfill. The second scripture comes from the Gospel: "Repent and believe in the Gospel" (Mk 1: 15), which is a pressing appeal to change one's life. Both passages from scripture invite us to enter Lent in an attitude of listening and sincere conversion.
The Gospel emphasizes that the Lord "sees in secret", that is, he scrutinizes our hearts. The external gestures of penance are valuable if they are an expression of an inner attitude and demonstrate the firm determination to shun evil and to take the path of righteousness.

At the funeral where I carried in the urn, a family member got up to share the loving memories of the deceased. Although what physically remained of the person was simply ashes, what remained forever was how that person loved. This is why Ash Wednesday is such a gift. Heavenly Father invites us back to the bare essentials. We are created from dust, yet we are given a heart to love and serve Him, and those who have been entrusted to us. He reminds us where we came from so that we can return to Him with our whole heart.

Someone may ask you what you are giving up for Lent, but no one needs to know what you have chosen to offer for the Lord. Only He will know --  for he sees in secret.