THE THEME OF TODAY'S REFLECTION IS ASH WEDNESDAY.
SUBTITLE ~ A BROKEN AND CONTRITE HEART
Ashes have a long tradition in the Catholic Church, finding its roots in the Old Testament.
Ash Wednesday in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church is focused, not surprisingly, on the imposition of ashes on all the faithful who attend Mass or a prayer service. This ceremony is relatively brief, but has rich symbolism that is sometimes forgotten.
First of all, the ashes used are typically created at the parish church through the burning of palm branches. These palm branches were blessed on Palm Sunday the year before, which connects the beginning of Lent to the end of Lent, when we remember the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Secondly, the prayer used by the priest to impose ashes on the forehead of an individual is meant to remind us of our mortality and the consequences of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
The prayer, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return,” is a direct quotation from the book of Genesis when God is delivering his judgment to Adam and Eve after they eat from the Tree of Good and Evil.
By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground,from which you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Genesis 3:19
Adam and Eve are then exiled from the Garden of Eden and are not allowed to return, sentenced to a mortal life.
Furthermore, ashes were used by many throughout the Old Testament as a sign of their repentance, asking God to have mercy on them. In the book of Judith, “all the Israelite men, women, and children who lived in Jerusalem fell prostrate in front of the temple and sprinkled ashes on their heads, spreading out their sackcloth before the Lord” (Judith 4:11). Afterwards, “The Lord heard their cry and saw their distress” (Judith 4:13).
Each time when the people sprinkled themselves with ashes, repent of their sins and cried out to God for mercy, the Lord heard their cries and spared them from destruction.This symbolism of repentance is why, in the current version of the Roman Rite, the words spoken at the imposition of ashes may be Jesus’ injunction to “Repent, and believe in the Gospel instead of "remember thou art dust and to dust you shall return."
”St. John Paul II also summarized the depth of meaning behind the ashes.
He said “Create in me a clean heart, O God, … take not your holy Spirit from me.” We hear this cry echoing in our hearts, while in a few moments we will approach the Lord’s altar to receive ashes on our forehead in accordance with a very ancient tradition. This act is filled with spiritual allusions and is an important sign of conversion and inner renewal. Considered in itself, it is a simple liturgical rite, but very profound because of its penitential meaning: with it the Church reminds man, believer and sinner, of his weakness in the face of evil and especially of his total dependence on God’s infinite majesty.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
THE ASHES ON OUR FOREHEADS SHOULD BE IN TRUTH A TRUE REPRESENTATION OF THE STATE OF OUR BROKEN HEARTS. NOT ONLY ON ASH WEDNESDAYS OR DURING THE LENTEN PERIODS BUT ALL THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES.
The ashes on our foreheads shows the broken state of our hearts. A heart that recognizes his/her weaknesses in the face of evil and his/her nothingness. A heart that is devoid of pride, a heart that has no excuse for sin. A heart that accepted that he/she is a sinner.
A heart that is broken and contrite.
Brokenness is deeper than repentance.
That we are Christians is not enough.
Brokenness is a state of total surrender.
It is a state that God can not deny.
Brokenness is a recognition of our imperfections, our inadequacies outside of God's mercy and help
It is a spiritual strategy designed by God to kill pride in the lives of His children.
It is a pathway invented by the wisdom of God for His children to return to Him.
2chronicle 7v14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
It means that we can pray and still not be heard.
That we can pray and still not be forgiven and can pray and still be sick because we are not humble because of lack of brokenness.
psalm 51v7
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
This means that the only acceptable sacrifice is a broken and a contrite heart.
It means that our praise will not be acceptable to God if we are not broken and contrite in our hearts.
It means that before God will accept our prayers or sacrifices that He will first of all check the state of our hearts to know whether we are broken and contrite in our hearts.
psalm 34v18
The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.It means that the Lord is far from those that are proud and allow the hard-hearted ones to enjoy there trouble in peace...
Jonah3v6-10
The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
This verses in summary means that the absence of a broken and contrite spirit is for many of us the mystery behind not only the tragedies of our lives but also the continuous patterns and reign of darkness and sin over our lives, over our families and territories.
Lack of brokenness and contrite heart can actually be the reason why so many people, families and Nations are still under curses and bondages as a result of sin and unexamined lifestyles.
Luke 15v20-22
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
In conclusion it means that God forgives and forgets our sins immediately He sees our broken and contrite heart. He sounded as if He did not hear the apology coming from His prodigal son and was busy instructing the servants what they must do for the prodigal son.
It is only God that never shames us if we are truly broken and contrite in our hearts.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST WE RECEIVED ASHES ON ASH WEDNESDAY, THE BIG QUESTION IS, "IS OUR HEARTS BROKEN AND TRULY CONTRITE OR ARE WE STILL LIVING WITH THE HEART OF STONE INSTEAD OF THE HEART OF FLESH?
THIS IS THE END OF OUR TODAY'S REFLECTION GOD BLESS YOU.
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