Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Matthew 9 : 14-15
At that time, the disciples of John came to Jesus with the question, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast on many occasions, but not Your disciples?”
Jesus answered them, “How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the Bridegroom is with them? The time will come, when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Psalm 50 : 3-4, 5-6a, 18-19
Have mercy on me, o God, in Your love. In Your great compassion blot out my sin. Wash me thoroughly of my guilt; cleanse me of evil.
For I acknowledge my wrongdoings and have my sins ever in mind. Against You alone have I sinned; what is evil in Your sight I have done.
You take no pleasure in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, You would not delight in it. O God, my sacrifice is a broken spirit; a contrite heart You will not despise.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Isaiah 58 : 1-9a
Cry out aloud for all you are worth; raise your voice like a trumpet blast; tell My people of their offences, Jacob’s family of their sins. Is it true that they seek Me day after day, longing to know My ways, as a people that does what is right and has not forsaken the word of its God?
They want to know the just laws and not to drift away from their God. “Why are we fasting,” they complain, “and You do not even see it? We are doing penance and You never notice it.” Look, on your fast days you push your trade and you oppress your labourers. Yes, you fast but end up quarrelling, striking each other with wicked blows.
Fasting as you do will not make your voice heard on high. Is that the kind of fast that pleases Me, just a day to humble oneself? Is fasting merely bowing down one’s head, and making use of sackcloth and ashes? Would you call that fasting, a day acceptable to YHVH? See the fast that pleases Me : breaking the fetters of injustice and unfastening the thongs of the yoke, setting the oppressed free and breaking every yoke.
Fast by sharing your food with the hungry, bring to your house the homeless, clothe the one you see naked and do not turn away from your own kin. Then will your light break forth as the dawn and your healing come in a flash. Your righteousness will be your vanguard, the Glory of YHVH your rearguard. Then you will call and YHVH will answer, you will cry and He will say, I am here.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard from the Scriptures, firstly from the Book of Deuteronomy, about how Moses laid two choices before the people, either to obey the Lord and be righteous, or to disobey the Lord and turn away from the Lord. The choice was made very clearly, between following the Lord and its accompanying actions, with following the ways of the world and wickedness.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue through the second day of the season of Lent, we are reminded that in order to follow the Lord, we have to be committed throughout, and we have to dedicate ourselves to His ways. We cannot and we should not be indecisive in this manner, as sooner or later, we will be forced to make a decision and choose between following the ways of God and with following the paths of the world.
We are reminded that Jesus Himself, our Lord, had been rejected by this world, and made to suffer rejection, ridicule, humiliation and eventually death on the cross, by all those who refused to believe in Him and refused to follow Him. Jesus Himself had to endure all the pains and sorrows, and He had to bear the heavy weight of that cross as He made His way from Jerusalem to the hill of Calvary, bearing all the multitudes of our sins and their consequences upon Himself.
This is where all of us Christians are told to share what He had endured and experienced, for just as the Lord had suffered rejection from the world, so we all will also be rejected by the world as well, because of our faith in Him. That is because what is acceptable to God and righteous in the sight of the Lord, is unacceptable for the world. And of course, what is acceptable to the world, is often against the ways of our Lord.
Why is that so? That is because the world had been marred and corrupted by sin, ever since sin entered the world through the sins of mankind. Man had disobeyed the Lord and went away from His ways, and became more and more separated from Him, and Satan became their master instead of their one and true Lord and Master, Who is God. Satan ruled over the world, because he had power over the hearts and minds of many people through sin.
And we know just how busy Satan was in his attempts to undermine the salvation of mankind, as he came to tempt Jesus in the desert in three occasions but without any success, and later on, he would persuade the hearts and minds of the Pharisees and the scribes and elders to rally against Jesus and oppose His works at almost all possible opportunities, before entering into the heart of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus to His enemies.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, in all of these, we have to understand that the reality of our faith is one that is always come into conflict and opposition with the forces of those who do not want to see us saved from the darkness, those who would rather keep us in our state of sin, chained and kept to the slavery under our sinfulness. But God Who loves us do not want to see us in this way, as He came to rescue us and redeem us from all that had brought us down, and through His own suffering and death, He wants to show us that by following Him, no matter how difficult it will be, that there is a way out of the darkness and into the light.
In this season of Lent, it is important for us to remember what the Lord Jesus had told His disciples, that all those who follow Him must take up their own crosses and follow Him. What does this mean, brothers and sisters? It does not mean that we literally and physically carry up wooden crosses just as Jesus had done. Instead, it rather means that we have to stand up for our faith and commit ourselves to what we believe at all times, even when opposition and challenges come upon us.
Are we able to do that, brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we able to remain true to the Lord even amidst challenges and even persecutions? Let us keep in mind our suffering brethren in faith in many different parts of the world, all those who have to even worry about the safety of their very lives just to remain faithful to the Lord, and where to practice the faith may mean costing someone their freedom, their status in the society, as well as their rights.
Let us all spend some time during this season of Lent, to prepare ourselves wholly that we may grow ever closer to the Lord, so that we will not just treat this moment just as any other moments, but spend it well, by the means of abstinence that we practice during this season, abstaining from sin and from all acts that are against the Lord, and also by helping one another to persevere in our faith.
Let us pray for one another, and support each other, so that even though we have to bear the heavy crosses of our faith, and even when difficulties, challenges and even persecutions come our way, we will not give up and will be able to remain true to our faith, and therefore, be found righteous and worthy of the salvation found in our God alone. May God bless us all. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Luke 9 : 22-25
At that time, Jesus added, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and be put to death. Then after three days He will be raised to life.”
Jesus also said to all the people, “If you wish to be a follower of Mine, deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow Me! For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for My sake, you will save it. What does it profit you to gain the whole world, if you destroy or damage yourself?”
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Blessed is the one who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates day and night on His commandments.
He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.
But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Deuteronomy 30 : 15-20
See, I set before you on this day life and good, evil and death. I command you to love YHVH, your God and follow His ways. Observe His commandments, His norms and His laws, and you will live and increase, and YHVH will give you His blessing in the land you are going to possess.
But if your heart turns away and does not listen, if you are drawn away and bow before other gods to serve them, I declare on this day that you shall perish. You shall not last in the land you are going to occupy on the other side of the Jordan.
Let the heavens and the earth listen, that they may be witnesses against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life that you and your descendants may live, loving YHVH, listening to His voice, and being one with Him. In this is life for you and length of days in the land which YHVH swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is Ash Wednesday, the very significant day that marks the beginning of the holy season of Lent. We begin this penitential season of Lent today, which is designed to prepare us for the coming celebrations of Holy Week, the most important events crucial and central to our faith. And that is why we spend an entire season of forty days to prepare ourselves well to celebrate that solemn occasion.
This is a time of renewal, of reconciliation and rediscovery of our true selves. This is a time that is a reminder of the journey which the people of Israel spent in the desert for forty years, as a penance from their sins and from all of their disobedience against God. We spend the forty days of Lent in remembrance of this event, remembering our own sinfulness and wickedness which had made us separated from God.
And as mentioned it is also a time of preparation, just as Jesus spent forty days in the desert before He officially began His ministry on this world. He fasted for forty days, being tempted by the devil and persevered through, and thereafter began the good works which God the Father had entrusted to Him. We prepare ourselves in our hearts and in our minds, in our flesh and in our whole being so that we may be ready to meaningfully celebrate the coming joy of Easter.
Today, each and every one of us, from the laity to the priests, from children to the eldest amongst us, and even to the rulers and kings, and to the bishops and the Pope, are to receive the blessed ashes on our forehead or on our heads, as a symbol of our repentance and penitence before God, acknowledging publicly before all that all of us are sinners without exception, and that we want to do something about these sins we have.
Let us reflect on the words which the priest utters upon imposing the blessed ashes on our foreheads, that we ought to remember that we were all dust, and to dust we shall therefore return. It is a reminder for us that no matter how great we are in this life, how much wealth we have accumulated and gained, and no matter what is our position in our society, our fame, intellect and all the greatness and glories that we have gained in life, we are all just a mortal man, filled with sin and darkness before God.
Ever since the time of Adam, the first man, whom God had crafted from mere dust to be His very own most beloved creation, carved in His own image, mankind had received the blessing of life from God. However, they have sinned and disobeyed God, and therefore, they were to suffer death as the consequence of their sins. It means that their earthly bodies made from the earth will return to the earth, and they all would face death, the ending of their earthly existence.
But God loves each and every one of us, brothers and sisters in Christ. He has loved all of us since the beginning of creation, even though we have sinned against Him and disobeyed Him and His commandments. He did not give up on us even though He was perfectly capable of doing so. He did not destroy us even though He was indeed capable of doing so. Instead, He gave us chance after chance, which sadly many people were unaware of, and some of these even rejected God’s offer of mercy.
God is willing to forgive us, because He sees in us who we truly are, His beloved creation, which were unfortunately corrupted by the darkness of sin, by our disobedience and waywardness. Thus the ashes are also a reminder of just how sinful we have been, and a reminder for the mortality that we have because of that sin. It is a reminder that because of sin we have been made into mortal beings subject to suffering and death.
And if we remember this fact, then it is important and necessary for us all to realise that as long as we still draw breath in this world, it is never too late for us to turn away from our sinfulness, be changed and be transformed in our ways and in our actions, repent and thus be made justified and righteous before God. God is always willing to give us a chance to redeem ourselves, but if we are the very ones who rejected the Lord’s offer of mercy, then no mercy will be shown us.
Are we all going to be stubborn like the Israelites of those days and also like the Pharisees? Or are we going to allow the Lord’s mercy to come to us and work in us? Are we going to allow the Lord to work His wonders in us and cleanse us from our sins and all the sorts of corruptions deep inside our heart, mind and soul? These are the questions we should ask ourselves, and which we should ponder about even as we enter into this season of Lent.
Otherwise, this time of Lent will be meaningless and useless for us. This season of Lent will be a tremendous help for us only if we really know its significance and meaning, and it will be a time for change and conversion, allowing us to overcome our shortcomings and our sins, and be renewed by the Lord and His grace. We should follow the example of David, the king of Israel, who repented wholeheartedly before God, humbling himself and regretting all of his past sins and trespasses. And God forgave him all the sins he had committed.
It is this regret and desire to change which many of us are lacking within us, the disgusted feeling of knowing just how wrong we had been. However, it is never too late to change ourselves to be faithful and dedicated to God, for as I have mentioned, God is always merciful to us. Let us not tarry and wait, but use instead whatever moment that is available for us in order to be transformed from a creature living in darkness, tainted by our sins, into a new and pure being, as the children of God.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all spend some time today to reflect on just how sinful we are, and how unworthy we are to receive His blessings and graces. And then let us think about just how loving and forgiving God is, when He opened for us the path to His forgiveness and mercy. In that manner, then the celebration of today’s Ash Wednesday and also the season of Lent will be meaningful for us.
Let us turn ourselves, our hearts, minds and indeed the whole being towards the Lord. Let us surrender ourselves to Him, and give Him all of our attention, especially as we enter into this holy season of Lent. May all of us have a fruitful season of Lent, filled with repentance and genuine desire to love and to serve the Lord. May the Lord hear our prayers, and may He strengthen us all in faith.
Let us all remember our shortcomings, and our sins before God and men alike. Let us remember through the ashes we received, just how corrupted and wicked we have become, and the need for a genuine turnaround and repentance. Let us help support one another, by showing through our own actions and examples, the way to reach out to the Lord and to be forgiven our sins. May the Lord bless us all and be with us always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Matthew 6 : 1-6, 16-18
At that time, 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 to the 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 already been 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 that people can see they are fasting. I tell you this : they have already been paid in full.”
“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.”
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
2 Corinthians 5 : 20 – 2 Corinthians 6 : 2
So we present ourselves as ambassadors in the Name of Christ, as if God Himself makes an appeal to you through us. Let God reconcile you; this we ask you in the Name of Christ. He had no sin, but God made Him bear our sin, so that in Him we might share the holiness of God.
Being God’s helpers we beg you : let it not be in vain that you received this grace of God. Scripture says : At the favourable time I listened to you, on the day of salvation I helped you. This is the favourable time, this is the day of salvation.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 