“Gather the people, assemble the elders, gather the children.” The prophet Joel calls us forward this Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. We gather today, the student, the professor, the administrator, the staff member and the friends and alumni of Loyola, just as Joel’s community assembled. We are here to return to the Lord by recognizing that sin denies the meaning of God in our lives. We gather as a community to publicly admit our failings in the past year by marking ourselves with ashes. From the earliest roots of our faith, ashes have symbolized mourning, mortality, and penance. We stand before God as different persons than we were a year ago. Our relationship with God has changed because we have changed. We want to change our lives by asking God’s help, especially in the regard to the sinful aspects of our lives.
When we listen to Jesus’ words in today’s gospel, “Take care not to perform righteousness deeds in order that people may see them,” we may feel a bit uneasy. The ashes on our foreheads are not meant to proclaim ourselves spiritually superior. Rather, they are sign that we are praying for conversion, a conversion of the heart. Joel is exhorting the people to give God their whole heart: “Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord your God.” Jesus is saying the same but also offers us three ways to spiritually grow during Lent: praying, fasting, and giving alms. Each of these is a concrete and pragmatic way for us to turn from sin and turn toward God.
Today we come before God and our Loyola community to repent and seek conversion in our lives. May the ashes on our foreheads remind us that we belong to God, who loves us deeply, despite our sinfulness. We want to change and draw closer to God. May our prayer and penitence this day be sustained throughout these 40 days of Lent.
