ASH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025

MASS READINGS

Gospel

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

REFLECTION

"And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

Every afternoon we study the spelling words, fractions, decimals, and Bible verse for the week. Everyday less time is spent learning and understanding so when quiz time comes around, she does very well. As the “teaching coach” my main goal is to get her to the finish line, with room to spare.

God is so good that every millisecond in our lives, He knows where we are, why we are where we are and what we are doing. He prods us along with His Mother Mary by our side, the saints show us the value and the valor of not giving up, and His priests, acting in persona Christi, are our sacrament/spiritual life coaches. He patiently directs us every day to the finish line.

Ash Wednesday is once again upon us. We all begin with great hopes in our efforts at making this the best Lent ever. Maybe we try too hard, maybe Lent is too long to keep us engaged. Jesus took poverty as His bride. For Lent, we too take poverty as our bride. We fast from food, abstain from meat, increase our prayer lives, give alms and do charitable deeds. But do we have one eye on the clock, wanting and yearning for those things we have given up or stop what we chose to do for our spiritual good?

The ashes on our forehead remind us that we are dust—but do we smell the dank moist earth, the reek of mud, the musty smell of decayed matter? That is what sin does to our soul, destroys the rich beautiful dirt God used to create us.

Every day during this Lenten season PRAY that the one sin that we are so good at committing will no longer prevail in our lives; FAST so as to empty ourselves of satisfaction, recognizing we need to feast on God and His Word; GIVE ALMS not only not craving riches or money but be willing to part with it.

God Bless You!