On Ash Wednesday, also known as “Dies Cinerum” (Day of Ashes), we begin our Lenten journey, which leads us to the foot of the Cross on Good Friday so that we can celebrate the resurrection of the Lord on Paschal Sunday. Of course, our journey continues on beyond Paschal celebration in basking in the glory of our Lord’s resurrection. It will further take us to receive the Holy Spirit on Pentecost to solidify the inner transformation that begins on Ash Wednesday.
Linking Ash Wednesday to Pentecost may seem strange or too-far-off. But, given extended contextual exegesis of the First Reading on Ash Wednesday Mass (Joel 2:12-18), returning to God with our whole hearts, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; rending our hearts to God, will lead to be blessed materially and spiritually (Joel 2:18-3:2). The spiritual blessing of those who return to God with their whole hearts with contrition, mourning loss of their innocence and begging to God’s mercy (i.e. Joel 2:12-18) will further lead to eternal salvation in Jerusalem while their enemies are destroyed by Him (Joel 4:17-21). They are not condemned in His judgement (i.e. Joel 4:1-16).
In the context of the Book of Joel, we are called to return to God with our whole hearts (Joel 2:12) because the day of the Lord is coming rather soon (Joel 2:1-11). In order to be saved, not to be condemned, on the day of the Lord, prophet Joel issues an alarm to abandon sinful life and whatever lead us to sin, so that we will be blessed and saved. In the Lenten context, the day of the Lord, the day of the judgement, is reflected on Good Friday. On that day, it is Christ who makes himself to be sin though he is sinless so that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21). For this reason, Christ was incarnated (i.e. Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 14), and the incarnated Christ was baptized, saying that he needed to be baptized for all righteousness to be fulfilled (Matthew 3:15). Also remember, on Good Friday, we also die to sins as the incarnated Christ dies for our sins (i.e. 1 Peter 2:24).
Because he takes our sins on him and died and was buried (John 19:28-42), as Fr. Michael Rossmann, SJ, of Loyola University, puts it, the incarnated Christ himself becomes ashes that we bear on Ash Wednesday. It means that the ashes on our forehead reminds that we are ready to die to our sins when the incarnated Christ dies for our sins. Therefore, the ashes we bear on Ash Wednesday to begin our Lenten journey are not just ashes but a powerful symbol of our Lenten commitment to die to our sins so that we become the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
In order for us to commit to our Lenten transformational journey, not only that we need to acknowledge our sins and mourn loss of our innocence by bearing ashes and fasting, we also need to discipline ourselves so that our Lenten commitment, including prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, won’t become superficial, as reminded in the Gospel Reading (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18). Otherwise, we would make the ashes on our foreheads a show-off sign of our righteous acts. As Fr. Rosssmann puts it, these ashes on our foreheads are not anything like a “I voted” sticker. As we truly repent and mourn loss of our innocence, then we enter season of Lent with humility. So we pray at Ash Wednesday Mass:
Pour out a spirit of compunction, O God, on those who bow before your majesty, and by your mercy may they merit the rewards you promise to those who do penance. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Ashes on our foreheads are, indeed, reminds us of our need of a spirit of compunction. Thus, the ashes also reflect what Paul described as a thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7), which keeps him from becoming haughty and prompts him to humbly seek grace from Christ (2 Corinthians 12:6-9).
And our Lenten humility and mourning of loss of our innocence and contrition shall be blessed by Christ, who said:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for there is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3).
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4).
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