Ash Wednesday opens a spiritual station particularly relevant for all Christians who wish to prepare themselves worthily to the preparation of the Paschal Mystery, that is, the memory of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord. This time vigorous
Liturgical Year is characterized by the biblical message can be summed up in one word: "matanoeiete", ie "Repent." This imperative is proposed to the mind of the faithful by the austere rite of the imposition of ashes, which, with the words "Repent and believe the Gospel" and the phrase "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return ", invites us all to think about the duty of conversion, recalling the inexorable aging and ephemeral fragility of human life, subject to the ceremony suggestive muerte.La Ash elevates our minds to the eternal reality that no ever happens, God, beginning and end, alpha and omega of our existence. Conversion is, in effect, but a return to God, valuing earthly realities in the light of your unfailing truth. An assessment that involves a growing awareness more transparent the fact that we are passing through this arduous journey on earth, and that encourages and stimulates us to work until the end, so that the Kingdom of God is established within us and his justice triumph. Synonym
"conversion" is likewise the word "penance" ... Penance as a change of mentality. Penance as an expression of self and positive effort to follow Christ.
John Paul II, Address 16/02/1983
Ash Wednesday Practice
Ash Wednesday the Church seeks to mark the beginning of Lent reminding Christians that we are creatures that this life is just preparation and that our true destiny is to God in eternal life. So this Wednesday recommended keeping the fasting and penance abstaining from meat, trying to confess and to participate in the liturgy of the imposition of ashes.
Reading to reflect on Ash Wednesday
Joel 2: 12-18. The 2nd Cor 5.20 to 6.2. Mt 6, 1-6 and 16-18
Reading from the prophet Joel (2, 12-18)
Thus saith the Lord: "There is still time. Turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, tears and sorrow and mourning your heart not your garments.
let them turn to the Lord our God, is compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and is moved by the misfortune.
may repent, have compassion of us and leave us a blessing, to make possible the offerings and libations to the Lord our God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion, to enact a fast, call the assembly, meeting the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the elders, convened to children, even the infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, ministers of the Lord, saying, 'Excuse me, Lord, spare thy people. Make not your heritage a mockery of the nations. Pagans do not say: Where is the God of Israel? " "
And the Lord was filled with zeal their land and had pity on his people.
In the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians (5, 20-6, 2)
Brothers: We are ambassadors for Christ and through us, is God himself who calls you. In Christ's name we ask them to reconcile with God. When he never committed sin, God did it "sin" for us, so that, united to him, we receive salvation from God and we become just and holy.
As partners we are of God, we urge them not to take his grace in vain. For the Lord says: In an acceptable time I have heard you on the day of salvation will help thee. Well, this is the favorable time: this is the day of salvation. Gospel according to St. Matthew
6:1-6.16-18.
Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be seen by them: otherwise, no reward of the Father in heaven.
Therefore, when you give alms, do not go hawking in front of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets to be honored by men. I assure you that they have received their reward.
When you give alms, your left hand ignore what the right
so that your alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on street corners to be seen. I assure you that they have received their reward.
You, however, when you pray, go into your room and shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to note that fast. I say to you, they have received their reward.
You, however, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting
not known by men but by your Father who is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret will reward.
Lord God, our Father. To you that you have deigned to redeem us with the precious blood of your Son, to begin Lent offer you all this time to pray more often, read and meditate on your word in the Bible, examine the roots of our sins to become more like your Son Jesus Christ, whom we wish to imitate and follow for all our lives. Here is also contemplating the mysteries of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, accompanied by his Via Dolorosa to Calvary. We will deprived of food and tastes lawful in memory of the pains of the Passion, we will forgive to forgive us, we love most in need, where you are and to delete the deserved punishment for our sins. Bless our Lent and pour your presence on us that we avail ourselves of the cross of Christ. Amen.
Ash Wednesday Tradition
Ash Wednesday in the Catholic Church is the first day of Lent , forty days before Easter . In the early Church, varying the duration of Lent , but eventually began six weeks (42 days) before Easter . This result was only 36 days of fasting (and excluding Sundays). In the seventh century were added four days before the first Sunday of Lent establishing the forty days of fasting, to imitate Christ's fasting in the desert.
was common practice in Rome for penitents to begin their public penance on the first day of Lent . They were sprinkled with ashes, dressed in sackcloth and forced to stay away until it is reconciled with the Church on Holy Thursday or Thursday before Easter . When these practices fell into disuse (X-VIII century), the onset of penitential season of Lent was symbolized by placing ashes on the heads of the congregation. Today
in the Church, Ash Wednesday, the Christian receives a cross on the forehead with the ashes obtained by burning the palms used on Palm Sunday earlier. This tradition of the Church has remained a simple service in some Protestant churches like the Anglican and Lutheran. The Orthodox Church Lent begins since last Monday and does not celebrate Ash Wednesday.
Fr. Baltasar López Bucio.
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