Today, we mark the start of the Lenten season, Ash Wednesday, when we are smeared with ashes, reminding us of our mortality.
In ancient times, ashes were used to express mourning and penance, when the penitent would ask for forgiveness for the faults that they have committed.
As we receive this mark today, we remember that our life is fleeting and in the end we will return to the Father. Because of this, let our life on earth be full of meaning, by making ourselves available to others, for the service of the Other.
For forty days, as Christians, we commit ourselves in our spiritual journey as we prepare for the celebration of Easter. Forty, is significant for us as we recall the forty years of wandering of the Israelites, preparing them as God’s people as they face the temptations in the desert. Forty is also the number of days that took Elijah to reach Mount Horeb where he met God in the gentle breeze. It is also the number of days that Jesus spent in the desert to prepare himself for his public ministry.
During this time, we are encouraged to engage in three practices: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These practices remind us of our humanity, to surrender to God, and to seek that which is of and from God.
Psalm 6:2-11
Do not reprove me in your anger, Lord,
nor punish me in your wrath.
Have pity on me, Lord, for I am weak;
heal me, Lord, for my bones are shuddering.
My soul too is shuddering greatly –
and you, Lord, how long?
Turn back, Lord, rescue my soul;
save me because of your mercy.
For in death there is no remembrance of you.
Who praises you in Sheol?
I am wearied and sighing;
all night long I drench my bed with tears;
I soak my couch with weeping.
My eyes are dimmed with sorrow,
worn out because of all my foes.
Away from me, all who do evil!
The Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my plea;
the Lord will receive my prayer.
My foes will all be disgraced and will shudder greatly;
they will turn back in sudden disgrace.