Ash Wednesday The Beginning of The Season of Lent 1 March :30 AM and 7:00 PM Our Lady of Victory Parish Community HOMILY

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1 Ash Wednesday The Beginning of The Season of Lent 1 March :30 AM and 7:00 PM Our Lady of Victory Parish Community 1 st Reading: Joel 2: Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God..... Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room, and the bride her chamber.... Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51 Sung 2 nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 - We implore you, in Christ s name: be reconciled to God!.... For he says, in an acceptable time I have heard you; on a day of salvation, I have helped you. Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation! GOSPEL: MATTHEW 6:1-6, Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see. Otherwise expect no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms,.... In giving alms you are not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Keep your deeds of mercy secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you. When you are praying.... Whenever you pray, go to your room, close your door, and pray to your Father in private... When you fast, see to it that you groom your hair and wash your face..... and your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.

2 Page 2 - Ash Wednesday The Beginning of The Season of Lent 1 March I. I read a story many years ago... one that I think illustrates well just what the potential of this wonderful, holy Season of Lent can be about... It is a... story [that] is told of a water bearer in India who had two large pots. They hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck, but one of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, the pot that had a crack in it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.... "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"... "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side

3 Page 3 - Ash Wednesday The Beginning of The Season of Lent 1 March causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said. In his compassion, the water bearer said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

4 Page 4 - Ash Wednesday The Beginning of The Season of Lent 1 March It is an amazing thing (but true) that God is able to accomplish some wonderful things through our efforts, in spite of our imperfections! II. Perhaps, the most important action we are invited to take as we enter in to this holy Season... even before prayer... even before fasting... even before almsgiving... is to recognize and own that we are flawed individuals... imperfect individuals... broken and fragile individuals... but individuals whom our God wishes to use to accomplish some great and wonderful things... and this can and will happen... as we immerse ourselves more and more in prayer that draws us closer to the heart of God... prayer that opens the doors of OUR hearts to provide a space for God... This can... and will happen... as we enter into fasting, not just from food or drink but from anger... resentment... negative words and actions toward others... fasting from any and all actions and habits that get in the way of our living more fully the Gospel and sharing that Gospel with others... This can... and will happen... in almsgiving... whether it be our time... our talent or our treasure... almsgiving that is truly sacrificial... giving from our

5 Page 5 - Ash Wednesday The Beginning of The Season of Lent 1 March substance not simply from our excess... so that the work of Christ is a work that continues. The flaws and imperfections will always be there... but, in the words of Saint Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians... Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!, as flawed and imperfect as we may be.