Urban Hermit at 3156 Doyle Street, Toledo, OH 43608-2006 US - Ash Wednesday

Psalm 51:  Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2:  Be reconciled to God.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18:  When you fast, groom your hair and wash your face; pray in secret.  Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see.

Dear People of God,

How ironic!  As we gather to begin the very public journey through Lenten prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we hear Matthew’s Gospel calling us to very private acts of piety.  This seeming contradiction sets up a tension for us throughout our Lenten observance, calling us to take action in two separate but related directions.

First, we are called to examine our individual lives and repent of the sins we have personally committed, whatever they may be.  I am called to purge myself of all that prevents union with God.  “Rend your hearts,” Joel urges.  I must rip out the anger and the hatred I harbor inside and turn to God.  All those things I put ahead of union with and service to God must be torn up and tossed away.

Second, we are called to repent as a community for the social sins we take part in, whether by our own acts or by simply omitting to make an effort to do justice.   Racism, sexism, ageism, classism, religious bigotry, political tyranny—all the systemic and systematic oppression of our world is my individual sin, requiring me to take action in my own life to name it and fight it.

As we set forth on the Lenten journey, the media are commenting on the global warming that is now, after many years of warning, upon us.  Glaciers are receding.  The State of California is in brown-out, the gasoline prices at the pump are regularly more than $1.75 a gallon, and our home heating and lighting bills are doubling and tripling even as winter wanes.  As a people of God we have failed in our responsibility as stewards of the creation God has entrusted us with, and clear signs are all around us.

The call is clear.  What one thing will I do this Lent to start a stewardship habit?  The choices are myriad.  Could I limit my driving?  How much of a sacrifice would it be to organize my day so that I could consolidate the errands I run in the course of my life?  I could stop at the library and the grocery store on the way home from work.  I could cut down on habits, like having a meal of pizza delivered to the house, that cause others to spend energy on my behalf. 

Could I cut down on energy use at home?  Maybe I could lower the thermostat just one degree this winter.  I could turn off the lights when I leave a room, even for a few minutes, and replace some of the 100-watt bulbs with 40-watt bulbs.  I could have an evening of silence once a week:  no television, no radio, no computer, and no extra lights. 

In addition to cutting down on energy use, I could recycle newspapers, magazines, metal cans, glass, and plastic.  I could build a compost heap in the garden to recycle kitchen wastes instead of putting them into the sewer system through the garbage disposal or filling city and county dumps with them.  I could buy differently, taking my own containers to a co-op or bulk food store for refilling.  I could plan more menus with basic foods that are not heavily processed, thus cutting down on the energy required to get the food to me and the wasteful packaging that holds it.

Now is the acceptable time!  Now is the day of salvation!  We must be reconciled once again with the earth we live on.  As Catholic Christians we preach the Gospel of Life, yet we are killing the land that gives us life.  Today is the day to change our sinful lives and turn to the Lord.

God bless!