Homily Stories: Ash Wednesday

1. "I Will Serve"

Greeting

The peace and reconciliation of the merciful Father be always with you. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

Today we begin our forty days of Lent, forty days of preparation for Easter. Why these forty days of penance? To return to our roots — to God, to our better selves — and consequently also to our neighbor. In many ways we have tried to be our own gods, to decide for ourselves what is right or wrong, and we have ended up by making ourselves the center of the world at the expense of ourselves, of God, of our neighbor. Now is the right time to return to God and to turn to the people around us. We express our brokenness and our readiness to change when, after the gospel, we receive the ashes.

Note. The penitential rite is omitted, since the rite of the ashes is a rite of penance and conversion.

Away with All Masks

Introduction by the Celebrant

In many regions of the world people celebrate carnival in the days before Lent with much noise and merrymaking. Often they wear masks for the occasion. But today Lent begins, the time to put off our masks and to turn our face and heart to God and to people. In this holy season we reflect on the true meaning of our lives. Who am I and what am I living for? Am I living for God and the community? We shall be invited to receive ashes on our foreheads with the invitation, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel.” Away, then, with all masks and return to God, to your true self and to one another as God’s people.

Here is Lent, Our Favorable Time

Introduction by the Celebrant

Lent begins today. It is a “favorable time,” a season of grace. We are called to go up with Christ to Jerusalem, the place where he will suffer and die before he will rise in glory. This means that we are called with him to suffer and die to ourselves, to sin and to give up the evil in and around us, so that we can rise, individually and as a community, to a deeper Christian life, become more available to God and to people, and capable of rendering service with love. The way is conversion, repentance, summed up in today’s gospel as almsgiving, that is, caring for people; as praying, that is, listening to God’s word and giving it a response of love and commitment; and as fasting, that is, giving up our selfishness. We express our willingness to be converted when, after the gospel, we receive the ashes.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray that this Lent we may turn to God and to one another (pause) God our Father, you know how often we try to go our own selfish ways. Do not allow us to live and die for ourselves alone or to close our hearts to others. Help us to see ourselves and life as gifts from you. Make us receptive to your word and your life and make us grow in the mentality of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Introduction by the Celebrant

Blessing of Ashes

These palm leaves have turned from green branches into gray ashes. This is the way it goes with us. We do not remain the same. We grow older, we make life gray and dusty for ourselves and for others. These ashes remind us of the brittleness of life, of our guilt and the penance we need. We will humbly receive these ashes as we are marked with the sign of the cross, for our hearts are willing to follow Jesus on the way of self-denial and love.

Prayer of Blessing

Bless = these ashes, Lord, as the sign of conversion and penance, as the token that we want to discover your Son today in the silence of our prayer and in our neighbor, whom we encounter in his needs. Let the sign of the cross, given in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit encourage and heal us, so that we may serve you and our neighbor by the strength of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

The priest sprinkles the ashes in silence. Then follows the imposition of ashes:

Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel.

General Intercessions

At the beginning of this season of conversion, we look forward to reconciliation with God and our neighbor. Let us bring before our Father our cares and the needs of all, and let us say: