FIRST READING
“Tear your hearts and not your garments.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Joel 2:12-18
“Even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and tear your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy, and repents of evil. Who knows whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?”’ Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.
The word of the Lord
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 51:3-4.5-6ab.12- 13.14 and 17 (R. cf. 3a)
R/. Have mercy, O Lord, for we have sinned
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your merciful love;
according to your great compassion,
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me completely from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin. R/.
My transgressions, truly I know them;
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done. R/.
R/. Have mercy, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Create a pure heart for me, O God;
Renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence;
take not your holy spirit from me. R/.
Restore in me the joy of your salvation;
Sustain in me a willing spirit.
O Lord, open my lips
And my mouth shall proclaim your praise. R/.
SECOND READING
“Be reconciled to God. Behold, now is the acceptable time.”
A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 5:20 – 6:2)
Brethren: We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, “At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
The word of the Lord
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION:
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Today, harden not your hearts, but listen to the voice of the Lord. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
GOSPEL
“Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 6: 1-6.16- 18)
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
The Gospel of the Lord
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Remember you are dust!
“Yet even now,” says the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Joel 2:12-18
As we begin our Lenten Season today, the ashes we shall receive on our foreheads are clearly a reminder of the emptiness of our very lives. Remember that you are dust; (meaning: remember that you are NOTHING, you came from nothing) and unto dust you shall return (meaning: no matter how rich you are, no matter how powerful you are today, no matter the number of people bowing before you today using their heads to scrub the floor for you to pass, you shall still die one day and return to Nothing). So, be Humble!
Secondly, if it is true that we are basically nothing, what keeps us going? The answer is simple: The Breath of God. My life is not in my hands, God can decide any moment to take back his breath and there is nothing I can do; not even the best hospital in the world can bring me back.
So, knowing how dependent I am on God, I should take full advantage of this Lenten Season to draw close to God as much as possible. Joel says it is not too late to return to God, it’s not too late to repent of my sins, my bad habits, my addictions and my spiritual Luke warmness. It is not too late to Return to Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving