Ash Wednesday

February 10, 2016

Ash Wednesday

1st Reading: Joel 2:12–18

2nd Reading: 2 Cor 5:20–6:2 Gospel: Mt 6:1–6, 16–18

Jesus said to his disciples, “Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something tothe poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be seen in the synagogues and in the streets in order to be praised by the people. I assure you, they have been already paid in full. “If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift remains really secret.

Your Father who sees what is kept secret, will reward you. “When you pray, do not be like those who want to be seen. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is with you in secret; and your Father who sees what is kept secret will reward you. “When you fast, do not put on a miserable face as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face, so people can see they are fasting. I tell you this: they have been paid in full already. When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, who sees what is kept secret will reward you.

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)

Fast and abstinence are mandatory spiritual exercises today, Ash Wednesday. The law requires us to remove meat from our menu (abstinence), and to eat sparingly (fasting) so that our food intake today is only equivalent to one full meal. Abstinence tightens our grip on our will power so that exercising control on amoral things we may have more control over immoral affairs. Fasting is an effective reminder to ourselves that “man does not live on bread alone but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God”. To be consistent with this rationale, Ash Wednesday and the days that follow should be spent in the spirit of prayer to God in whose Word we derive our daily spiritual sustenance. The accompanying ritual that Ash Wednesday introduces is the imposition of ashes on our forehead. The ashes are derived from the palms used last Palm Sunday. When imposed upon our foreheads the priest says “Remember man you are dust and to dust you shall return.” May these exercises unite us to the Passion and Death of Jesus so that we too may have a share in his resurrection! – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM.Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website: www.frdan.org.

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