ASH WEDNESDAY - 2021

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord. PS 94:8

JOEL 2:12-18

My Soul's Beloved,

Thank You for this time of refreshment granted to us by the Church, the season of Lent, a time to turn our gaze to the Cross and contemplate the work of our salvation You wrought on it.

May we use this time to appreciate God's goodness in giving us so wonderful a Savior. You took our iniquities, You bore our guilt. On You was laid a punishment that was ours. Grant us the grace to return to You with our whole heart, to realize that the sins of each of us individually and collectively were borne by You. 

Mine the guilt, mine the punishment, mine the suffering You bore in my stead. You spared me from eternal death. May my fasting, almsgiving, and penance offered from a heart truly repentant and broken with sorrow find favor in Your sight.  

Thank You for Your tenderness, compassion, and Your graciousness in not keeping a record of my iniquities. Grant me the grace to appreciate the price paid for me on Calvary so I never cease to offer You a heart always overflowing with praise, gratitude, and thanksgiving all the days that may be granted to me.

PSALM 51:3-6,12-14,17

My Soul's Beloved,

The very first step towards repentance is to acknowledge our sins and our transgressions, to be truly sorry for having offended You, after which follows all the other steps that complete our reconciliation. To confess the sins we have committed, to resolve with Your help to sin no more, do the penance given to us. You, in turn, will blot out our offences, wash away our guilt, cleanse us from our sin and restore us once again as members of God's family. 

It is foolish for us to hide our sins from You for they are all known to You. Rather, give us a childlike simplicity to trust You to forgive us when we return to You as the prodigal son did.  May we never make light of our sins, for any sin against our neighbour You consider as a sin committed against You. 

Only You can create a pure heart in me and give me a steadfast spirit that does not fall as soon as I am tempted. Keep me in the shadow of Your love and under Your protection so evil will not come near me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so I will always have Him as my Guide.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:20-6:2

My Soul's Beloved,

We cannot sin with impunity and expect God to make light of our wickedness, too great a price was paid for our salvation. God Himself became incarnate in order to become the Lamb of Sacrifice. From the moment You were conceived until You breathed Your last breath and commended Your Spirit to the Father, Your earthly existence was one of intense longing to complete the work of salvation, for which You were sent into the world, and to return to Your Father. 

St. Paul tells us that being ransomed and delivered from the Enemy we are now Your ambassadors. We must proclaim the Good News that the Son of God, the sinless one, became sin for our sake so they, in turn, might receive the goodness of God.  

We have received a divine mandate as members of Your Body, to make disciples of all nations so all may come to the knowledge of truth and be saved. God desires that not a single soul be lost and to us is given the mission to ensure that many come to believe in You through our witness and testimony. Today is the day to preach and teach God's Word by our lives. Today is the day of salvation and tomorrow will be the day of judgment - the favorable time of our salvation is now.

MATTHEW 6:1-6,16-18

My Soul's Beloved,

The more we parade our piety and good works before the world in order to win praise and honor the less merit they have in Your eyes. The praise of the world will be our sole reward.

The Pharisees made a great show of publicly giving large sums of money in alms in public. They prayed aloud telling God how good they were and how faithful in keeping to the smallest detail the letter of the law. Everyone knew when they were fasting for they made sure that it was evident to all.

All these forms of praying, almsgiving, and fasting are displeasing to God, and find no favor with Him. Instead, You teach us how we ought to pray, fast, and give alms. All must be done in secret so no one but God sees and God who knows all we have done in secret will reward us.

Far better to be rewarded by You than to be heaped with every praise and honor the world can give.