Homily for Ash Wednesday: Repent and Believe in the Gospel

Joel 2:12-18; 2 Corinthian 5:20-6:2, MT 6:1-6, 16-18

Introduction 

The central sign of our celebration is the ashes, which even give the name to the day, "Ash Wednesday."  But like all things Catholic, signs are empty, without the meaning behind them. 

If you want to know what baptism is, listen to the prayers at baptism, marriage – listen to the prayers said at a wedding.  And so for today's homily, I would like us to reflect on the meaning of the ashes, primarily through the words that the priest uses when applying the ashes. 

Scripture and Theology 

The priest has a choice of two formulas to use: 

1. “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” 

2. “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” 

You will be happy to note that both formulas come from the Bible. 

The first formula consists of Jesus’ words in the first chapter of Mark's gospel.  When Jesus begins his public ministry, he introduces his mission by saying: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand.”  And then he concludes with: “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk. 1:15).  By this declaration, Jesus is not only announcing “Breaking News” about the arrival of the Kingdom of God; he is also instructing his listeners on what they must do, if they are to gain admission to that Kingdom of God.  The two things required are contained in this first formula: Repent from your sins and believe in the Gospel, which is Good News of God. 

The second formula for the ashes comes from Genesis 3:19, where God pronounces sentence on Adam for his sin.  He declares: “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, from which you were taken . . .” says the Lord.  And then he concludes: “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  In these few words God describes what the fate of man is: a life of toil and suffering ending up in death, until the Saviour comes. 

And so, whichever formula the priest uses, the message is the same.  The Ashes, Ash Wednesday itself and Lent cannot be empty signs of cultural Catholicism, but must be a reminder to us, in the words of Pope Francis, "to return to God “with all their hearts” (Joel 2:12), to refuse to settle for mediocrity and to grow in friendship with the Lord." 

Now how does a priest choose which formula to use? I want to assure you that he does not do "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe."  Nor does he choose using the "rock, paper, scissors" method.  For my part, I choose the formula that best communicates the message I want to emphasise. 

• Do I want to scare you into conversion by a stark reminder of eternal death, which comes from sin?  If so, I will choose to say to you that "you are dust and unto dust you shall return," unless you turn to the Lord. 
• Or do I want to encourage you conversion by reminding you of ugliness of sin compared to the beauty of the Good News?  If so, I will choose the much gentler encouragement to repent and believe in the gospel, which essentially is turning away from sin and be faithful to the gospel. 

Again, whichever the case, these formulas remind us what the ashes are about, growing in our love for God and keeping sin at arm’s distance.  And this is something we must do throughout the year.  But during this time of Lent, we are asked to make an extra effort, go the extra mile in doing these things. 

Christian Life 

And in today’s gospel suggests three ways by which we can go that extra mile, the traditional penitential acts of almsgiving, prayer and fasting.  The gospel tells us that we must carry them out without showing off.  Why?  Because like the ashes, they are only external signs of what is inside us. 

By almsgiving, we share our material possessions with those who are less fortunate than we are.  We can do this privately with those who we encounter or as Pope Francis in his Lenten message encourages, we can support Lenten campaigns promoted by the Church, such as supporting Catholic Charities which helps the poor within the USA, and Catholic Relief Services which does so abroad, as well as other groups that truly help the poor.  Perhaps your priest can suggest some of these groups. 

Second, although prayer is something we do every day, during Lent we kick it up a notch.  Do we say prayers as a family, before and after meals, perhaps the rosary before we watch our favourite television show or even in the morning?  Can we consider coming to daily Mass, if that is a possibility?  And of course let us not forget the Sacrament of Penance, which after baptism, is the sacrament that reconciles us to God. 

Thirdly, we should fast and abstain.  We fast by giving up all nutrition, so that in that experience of hunger, we might know what the deprivation of Lazarus means and what total dependence on God is.  We also abstain from certain foods or pleasures, so as to set our sights on the greater pleasures of God. 

Conclusion 

As we return home with our ashes, and as we begin to carry out our Lenten almsgiving, prayer and fasting, let them all be signs of the growth that God is working in us, helping us repent from sin and grow more faithful to the gospel. 

Let the words of Pope Francis in his Lenten letter encourage us to do this: 

Lent is a favourable season for opening the doors to all those in need and recognizing in them the face of Christ. Each of us meets people like this every day. Each life that we encounter is a gift deserving acceptance, respect and love. The word of God helps us to open our eyes to welcome and love life, especially when it is weak and vulnerable. 

And then at Easter, we shall celebrate the Lord's death and resurrection in joy, because having been reminded that we are only dust and unto dust we shall return, we shall have truly repented and believed in God's Word in the gospel.