Ash Wednesday
Readings: Joel 2:12-18; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
On this Ash Wednesday, the Church places ashes upon our heads and the Word of God within our hearts, calling us to return to the Lord with all our being. The prophet Joel urges us: “Rend your hearts, not your garments,” reminding us that Lent is above all an interior transformation. Saint Paul proclaims that now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation, Lent is a period of grace, a sacred opportunity offered to us anew. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches that prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are not performances for others, but expressions of a personal relationship with the Father who sees in secret. Lent, therefore, is not about external rigor alone, but about rediscovering the intimacy of being known and loved by God. It is a journey inward, where the heart is purified, reconciled, and reshaped by grace, so that our lives may reflect a deeper communion with Him. Let’s reflect: Am I truly prepared for an interior transformation and a deeper, more personal relationship with God, or am I remaining at the level of external practices alone during this Lent?
Don Giorgio