HOMILY FOR THE ASH WEDNESDAY OF YEAR A. (3)




HOMILY FOR THE ASH WEDNESDAY OF YEAR A.

THEME: Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

BY: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA.

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 22 2023.

 

*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Joel 2:12-18
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2
Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

*LITURGICAL COLOUR*
PURPLE

*INTRODUCTION*
Today is Ash Wednesday and is a very important day in the life of the Church because this is the official beginning of Lent. Today we are also going to receive ashes and in a few minutes, during this Holy Mass, the ashes will be blessed and imposed. These are ashes that come from the palms and branches blessed on Palm Sunday last year. These palms and branches are symbols of our faith in Christ, to whom we renew our baptismal promises during the Easter Vigil celebration. But now these palms and branches are dry, brown and unpleasant to look at which symbolize our souls that for the past months are soiled again by our imperfections, disloyalty and sins.

*FROM OUR OUR FIRST READING*
From our first reading today, we heard of the Lord calling upon His people to return to Him, to entrust themselves once again to His providence, love and grace. We heard the Lord calling on all the people to repent and turn away from their many sins and wicked ways, and how He is truly merciful, compassionate and filled up with great and most generous love for each and every one of us.

*FROM OUR SECOND READING*
In our second reading, we heard about the Apostle speaking to the people of God regarding the salvation that God Himself has brought upon His people. St. Paul reminded us all how the Lord has sent us His own beloved Son to be our Saviour, and to provide us with the sure and guaranteed way out of the darkness and the predicaments of our lives.

RELATED: HOMILY FOR ASH WEDNESDAY

*FROM OUR GOSPEL READING*
In our Gospel passage today, we heard of our Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples and followers regarding the matter of fasting and why one should be fasting and how they ought to be fasting in the right manner.

*CONCLUSION*
Today, on Ash Wednesday, as we have ashes imposed upon us, on our head or on our forehead, let it be a reminder for us that we are all sinners in need of God’s healing and mercy, and let that ash not be a symbol of pride, for us to show off our faith to others. Instead, the ash should be a reminder instead of our humility and our need of help and regeneration from God, that as we rend not just our bodies, but also our hearts, minds, our souls and our whole beings, we commit ourselves to the Lord into a whole new existence that is focused and centred on Him.
Have a Blessed Ash Wednesday.

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