“You are merciful to all, O Lord, and despise nothing that you have made. You overlook people’s sins, to bring them to repentance, and you spare them, for you are the Lord our God” (cf. Wisdom 11:24-27). This is the entrance antiphon or opening verse for the Mass on Ash Wednesday. It summarizes the meaning of Lent for me.
Lent, in the Catholic Church, is seen as the special season for the ascent to the holy mountain of Easter. It runs from Ash Wednesday until the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday which begins the Sacred Paschal Triduum. Its theme is twofold: repentance and renewal of baptismal promises, and the readings throughout the season reflect this.
In the cycle of weekday readings, Lent falls into two parts. The first is from Ash Wednesday through the Saturday of the third week of Lent and the second is from Monday of the fourth week of Lent through the beginning of the Sacred Triduum. During the first part, the Gospel texts are taken from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) with corresponding Old Testament passages for the First Readings. The message that is communicated to us in this part is that of a call to a life of repentance and Gospel conversion.
It speaks of beginning anew, of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. We are also called to a life of mutual forgiveness, love of enemies, holiness, etc. During the second half of lent, the Gospel readings are taken from the Gospel of John, presenting to us the mystery of Jesus Christ of whom John says that all who believe in him will have eternal life. Jesus Christ, at this point in Lent, is presented to us as the healer and life-giver through his sorrowful passion and death. By the renewal of our baptismal promises, we recommit ourselves to partaking in his death and resurrection.
As the first part of Lent brings us to “compunction,” a term that suggests the deflation of our inflated egos and a challenge to any self-deceit about ourselves to a more sincere fellowship of Jesus as his disciples, the second part focuses on the person of Jesus as our Savior who saves those in need of salvation, those who have challenged themselves and are open to be filled up with the person of Jesus Christ. Thus, repentance and renewal of our baptismal promises which should necessarily lead us to a life in Jesus Christ, a life in the Spirit, as St. Paul will say.
As the season of Lent has begun, I invite us to keep in mind the reason for the season; repentance and renewal of our baptismal promises. This is why we begin the season with the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday that reminds us to repent and believe in the Gospel which is the pattern of the life of Jesus Christ. We are coheirs with Jesus and so our citizenship is not here on earth, but in heaven. So, everything about this life should aid our journey to our heavenly homeland, for here on earth, we are dust/ashes to which we shall return during our transition to heaven, the place of light, happiness and peace for those who are victorious after the example of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.
Let us pray: “Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint…Amen” – Collect for Ash Wednesday Mass. – Fr. Stan.
