Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton
HOMILY
Ash Wednesday – February 22, 2012
St. Peter’s Cathedral
The first words of scripture in the liturgy celebrated today on Ash Wednesday come to us each year from the Old Testament prophet Joel. We rarely hear of this minor prophet throughout the liturgical year. Yet, for all that he offers, his words repeated on this day are, by far, his most memorable and challenging, “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God.”
Joel calls us to change our lives – to set aside all that keeps us from reflecting the life of God within our own lives. But he boldly challenges us to do so, not merely through gestures and religious practices – but by peering intensely into our hearts to insure that our spirit – the core of our being – is honest and pure and open to the transforming power and presence of God.
It’s an interesting phenomenon that we experience each year on Ash Wednesday. On the heels of hearing the words of the prophet Joel, and indeed, the words of Saint Matthew’s gospel that call us to embrace a lifestyle rooted less in exterior show and far more in an authentic relationship with God, countless numbers of Christians will gather today in churches across this land and throughout the world for the imposition of ashes. Right here in our Cathedral, in just a few moments we will walk up this aisle and have the ashes from burned palms scraped across our foreheads – in the sign of a cross, no less. And we will proudly display them for all to see.
These ashes, however, will have value only to the degree that they cause us to pause and reflect upon the wounds and brokenness of our lives, the fragile and precarious nature of the gift of life and ultimately our need for God to help us make sense of the world in which we live.
Historically, Lent has always been a time for us to reflect upon the sacrament of Baptism. On the First Sunday of Lent we will welcome catechumens into the ranks of the elect; those from our midst who have begun the journey of conversion and who will soon experience the saving power of Jesus in the Easter mysteries of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Their “yes” to the Lord’s call in this day and age gives us hope and should encourage us to recommit ourselves to the vows that were made at our own baptisms. Their “yes” reminds us that we are all called to look beyond ourselves to something more in life. In his message to the Church for this Lenten season, Pope Benedict gives us insight into where we should look.
He shared these thoughts, “The Lord’s disciples, united with him through the Eucharist, live in a fellowship that binds them one to another as members of a single body. This means that the other is a part of me, and that his or her life, his or her salvation, concern my own life and salvation. … Our existence is related to that of others, for better or for worse.” The Holy Father goes on to note, “In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works (cf. Hebrews 6:20).”
Our Lenten journey, my friends, draws us to the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. We are baptized into the Lord Jesus – yes, for our life and salvation – but not solely for our own well being. We are baptized into the life and ministry of the Church – enlivened by the Holy Spirit and nourished by the presence of the living God in the Eucharist. But the life of Jesus within us demands a response.
As our Lenten journey eventually leads us to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, we will hear from Jesus on the very night before he died for us and for our salvation, profound words of challenge and hope. As he assumed the role of a servant and washed the feet of his disciples, Jesus called all to embrace his example of servant leadership. “As I have done, so you must do.” True disciples, as Pope Benedict reminds us, are called to lead lives deeply rooted in service – to God, neighbor, self and creation. “As I have done, so you must do.”
And so my friends, I end these reflections where they began. Recall again the words of the prophet of Ash Wednesday, Joel, as he beckons us, “Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God.” May we have the courage to confront the reality of our hearts – to put aside whatever distracts us from the Lord’s love and grace – to turn away from self-centeredness and fear, from isolation and indifference – to be concerned for each other – to stir a response in love and good works – and so to open our hearts to the life and peace of Jesus, present in our midst.