HOMILY FOR ASH WEDNESDAY--ABC

TODAY WE ENTER THE SEASON OF LENT AND WHAT I WANT TO DO TONIGHT IS TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE BIG PICTURE OF LENT THAT YOU CAN KEEP IN MIND AS WE PROGRESS TOWARD EASTER.

LENT IS REALLY DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS: A PART TO PRICK OUR CONSCIENCES AND A PART TO REMIND US THAT WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT IS SALVATION FOUND ONLY IN CHRIST.  TO PUT IT IN THEOLOGIAN-SPEAK, THE FIRST PART OF LENT FOCUSES ON THE ETHICAL AND THE SECOND PART ON THE CHRISTOLOGICAL.

THAT FIRST PART LASTS ABOUT 3 ½ WEEKS AND THE READINGS DURING THAT TIME TALK OF FASTING, PRAYER, ALMSGIVING, REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION, BEING HOLY AND SO ON.  WE CAN SAY THAT THOSE READING ARE DESIGNED TO BRING US TO COMPUNCTION.  COMPUNCTION IS RELATED TO THE WORK PUNCTURE AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS PART OF LENT IS TRYING TO DO, TO PUNCTURE AND DEFLATE OUR INFLATED EGOS, TO POKE HOLES IN ANY SELF-DECEIT WE MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THE WHETHER WE’VE BEEN LIVING CHRISTIAN LIVES OUR NOT.  IN A MINUTE OR TWO, I WILL TRY TO PUNCTURE YOUR COMPLACENCE BY TELLING YOU THAT YOU ARE MADE OUT OF NOTHING BUT DUST AND YOU’RE GOING TO BE NOTHING BUT DUST AGAIN WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.

THE GOSPELS THAT WE WILL READ DURING THIS PART OF LENT WILL HIT US AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH THE FACT THAT WE FAIL TO MEET GOD’S DEMANDS AND IN FACT, ON OUR OWN, CAN NEVER MEET GOD’S DEMANDS.  THOSE PASSAGES TELL US NOT TO HAVE ANY ILLUSIONS ABOUT WHO AND WHAT WE ARE.  THE DEMANDS OF BEING CHRIST’S DISCIPLE ARE HEAVY INDEED.

THE SECOND PART OF LENT, ALSO ABOUT 3 ½ WEEKS LONG, TELLS US THAT THE ONLY WAY TO SATISFY OUR NEED FOR SALVATION IS THROUGH JESUS.  HE IS THE HEALER OF OUR SPIRITUAL ILLNESS AND FAILURES AND THE REAL SOURCE OF LIFE.

IN SHORT, THE FIRST PART OF LENT IS A CALL TO CONVERSION, A CALL TO TURN AWAY FROM SIN.  NOW IF YOU ARE TURNING AWAY FROM SOMETHING, YOU HAVE TO TURN TOWARD SOMETHING ELSE.  THE SECOND PART TELLS US WHAT TO TURN TOWARD, NAMELY THE GOSPEL OF JESUS.

IN TODAY’S GOSPEL, JESUS TELLS US HOW TO BEGIN THAT PROCESS: PRAYER, FASTING AND ALMSGIVING.  THESE ARE THE TOOLS TO BRING ABOUT REPENTANCE.

THE NEED FOR PRAYER IS PRETTY OBVIOUS.  YOU DO NOT GIVE YOUR ALLEGIANCE TO SOMEONE WITHOUT TALKING TO THEM.

FASTING IS MORE DIFFICULT.  WHY DO WE FAST?  THE MOST COMMON INTERPRETATION IS THAT IT IS A WAY OF DOING PENANCE FOR THE EVILS OF OUR PAST.  THERE IS THAT ELEMENT.  BUT THE REAL REASON FOR FASTING IS TO TEACH OURSELVES THAT WE CAN GET ALONG WITH OUT THE PLEASURES OF THE WORLD.  I CAN STAY ALIVE WITHOUT A PINT OF BEN & JERRY’S EVERY NIGHT AND, WOW, BEER IS NOT ONE OF THE FOOD GROUPS NECESSARY FOR LIFE AND, HEY, I CAN EVEN VISIT MY LONELY AUNT AND MISS AN EPISODE OF ‘FRIENDS’ RERUNS WITHOUT SUFFERING A MENTAL BREAKDOWN.  ALMSGIVING SERVES THE SAME PURPOSE.  I REALLY DON’T NEED ALL THOSE PRODUCTS THAT A CONSUMER SOCIETY TELLS ME I HAVE TO HAVE WHEN I CAN SPEND THE MONEY TO HELP OTHERS WHO DON’T EVEN HAVE THE BASICS.

IN TODAY’S WORLD, IT MIGHT BE THAT PRAYER, FASTING AND ALMSGIVING ARE NOT ONLY THE WAY TO REAL PIETY AS THERE IS NO QUESTION THEY ARE, BUT ALSO OUR ONLY HOPE FOR PEACE.