Lenten Reflection Day 1 - Ash Wednesday

Opening Prayers:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the Saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, to pray for me to the Lord our God. Amen.

Scripture Reading (Psalm 50 [51]):

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity. Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me… Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.”

Reflection:

Today we enter the solemn fast of Lent marked with ashes, reminding us that we are dust and to dust we shall return (cf. Genesis 3:19). The humble ashes on our forehead signify penance and our need for God’s mercy. Like King David who composed Psalm 50 after repenting of his grave sins, we cry out to God for forgiveness: “Have mercy on me, O God… blot out my iniquity”. True repentance begins with an honest acknowledgement of our sins without excuse: “I know my iniquity”. We approach our Lord with the confidence that He is “gracious and merciful” (Joel 2:13) and that “a contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 50:19).

In biblical tradition, forty days is a period of purification. Just as Noah spent forty days in the ark while sin was washed from the earth, and the Israelites wandered forty years to be purified for the Promised Land, so we spend these forty days seeking spiritual renewal. Let us make a good beginning today by cultivating “a clean heart”. We cannot attain this by our own effort, but God will “create” it within us by His grace. Our role is to confess our sins sincerely and do penance in reparation. “Be converted to Me with all your heart, in fasting and in weeping and in mourning” says the Lord. The ashes and our small sacrifices are outward signs of this inward conversion of heart.

Holy Scripture and the saints assure us that no matter how stained our soul may be, God’s mercy can make it “whiter than snow.” David implored, “Wash me… and cleanse me from my sin”, and indeed God forgave him. “For with the Lord there is merciful forgiveness; with Him plentiful redemption” (Psalm 129:4,7). Our Lord Jesus has shed His Precious Blood for our salvation; there is no sin too great to be forgiven if we repent. But we must repent – with sincerity and urgency. Jesus warns us twice in the Gospel, “Unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish.” Now is the time to turn back to God.

On this first day of Lent, let us ask for the grace of compunction – a deep sorrow for our sins and a desire to amend our life. True compunction is a gift from God, one that “breaks the heart and heals it” according to St. Augustine. It leads us not to despair, but to hope in God’s mercy. As Pope St. Gregory the Great taught, “The goodness of God leads the sinner to repentance” – we are moved to repentance because we trust in His goodness, not because we doubt it. With confidence, we can pray as David did: “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation”. A clean conscience brings back the light of God’s joy in our hearts. The Church Fathers often compared repentance to a second baptism, washing the soul clean.

Finally, consider that Lent is a spiritual battle. When we strive to repent and make penance, the enemy of our souls grows agitated. But we need not fear, for God’s grace is our strength. In today’s collect at Mass the Church prays: “Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting our Christian warfare: that as we do battle with spiritual wickedness, we may be protected by You with weapons of self-restraint.” In other words, our fasting and prayer are like weapons that defend us from evil. As we begin these forty days, let us take up the weapons of penance with courage. With the sign of ashes, we march forward as penitents, but also as hopeful children of a merciful Father. Remember the comforting promise of the Lord through the prophet Joel: “Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful… and relenting of evil” (Joel 2:13). God eagerly awaits our return. Today, let us return to Him with all our heart.

Closing Prayers:

V: O Lord, hear my prayer.

R: And let my cry come unto Thee.

V: Let us bless the Lord.

R: Thanks be to God.

V: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R: Amen.