Return To Me With All Your Heart

 

Our return to God must be with commitment to Him alone.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Ash Wednesday, February 14th, 2024
Texts: Joel 2:12-18; Psalm 51:3-5,12-14,17; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18 

"Return to me with all your heart” is the Lord’s word to us as we begin this year Lent. The word, return, means we have wandered away and we are now to retrace our steps. In this way, God affirms Himself as our beginning and source.  
He is our beginning in two ways. Being our creator is our beginning. Being formed by His word into a special race, His people, dedicated to Him, He is our beginning. This people the Lord calls to return to Him in today’s first reading. We wander away from Him by not keeping His word. We are to return to Him by keeping His word. Hence, today’s gospel acclamation says, “Today, harden not your hearts, but listen to the voice of the  Lord.” 

We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God

He made us His ambassadors to call those who are yet to be His people. This is clear in the words of St. Paul: “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” They are to submit to the rule of the Lord and be formed by His word. This means conforming their lives to the gospel of Christ, obeying the command of the Lord.

However, our return to God must be with commitment to Him alone. Hence, He says, “with all your heart”. He is to be the only object of the love of our hearts. We return with all the heart when our affection is for Him, our intellect seeks to know Him and bend our wills to His will.  

The return to the Lord must also come with hatred for evil. Hence, God says “with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and tear your hearts and not your garments." Fasting, weeping and mourning are expressions of hatred for evil and rejection of sinful ways of life. This reminds us that our Lenten observances should be manifestation of our love for God and rejection of evil.

They can abstain from something else in place of food

Reminding us of the three pillars of Lenten observances is important. They are fasting, almsgiving and prayer. Jesus Christ speaks about them in today’s gospel reading. The love of God and hatred for evil should inspire them. We should not do them to impress human beings or to seek human attention or praise. Fasting is not a must for those who are sick, the elderly and children. They can abstain from something else in place of food.  

Today we shall be marked with ashes on our foreheads. It is a sacred gesture that reminds us that we are dust and unto dust we shall return. It therefore calls us to humility before God and repentance. Human glory passes away with time but the glory of God remains forever. May the name of the Lord be blessed both now and forever. Amen  

Prayer 

Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint. Amen (Collect)  

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke