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This is Fr. Sean’s sermon for Ash Wednesday.
Today more than any other day–the world will know that we have been at church– in just a few moments you will walk out that door with a mark on your forehead that says I went to church–kind of like stickers we get from the polls that say, “I voted.”
But the mark on our foreheads–is not meant to be a mark that says to the world, “look at me–look how good I am I’ve been to church-rather it is a mark for ourselves— a mark reminding us our our mortal nature–reminding us that we are dust— but more importantly it reminds us that it is God who animates the dust who breathes life into the dust and creates us.
Every year–the church lectionary treats us with this same Gospel– with Jesus reminder to beware of practicing piety before others and that in our acts of piety we should be seeking the right rewards– not looking to impress our neighbors or those around us with great spiritual feats –but rather that we seek the rewards that God will bestow upon us- when we pray the right way–when we give of our treasures the right way and when we fast the right way.
We now enter the season of Lent–where the church encourages us to be a little more pious… the church invites us to think about and engage in activities that will draw us closer to God and to each other.
Most of us will fast from something–we will give up something…sometimes we fast from something that isn’t really good for us physically, mentally or emotionally… in some ways that’s a bonus … but as Jesus reminds us that acts of piety are meant to be about storing up treasures in heaven meant to be drawing us closer to God and to each other.
I think from my own experience, that when I give up something–there is usually some discomfort involved… that can be emotional discomfor-t as I try to act in a new way… sometimes that can be a physical discomfort… sometimes I feel denied of the pleasure of something I really enjoy doing… all of those discomforts stand as reminders of our need for God and the need for an ever deepening relationship with Him.
Ash Wednesday and this season of Lent is a season where we our fasting… our prayers remind us of the need our relationship with God… and that sometimes we try to substitute that need with stuff— with things with creaturely comforts. ,but in reality all we need is God and only in God can we find true contentment...
There was a woman named Julian of Norwich who lived during the 1300’s– she was an anchoress or someone who withdrew from secular society to live a more prayerful life. One of the prayers that has been attributed to Julian–is this.
God of your goodness, give me yourself
for you are enough to me and I can ask for nothing less that is to your glory,
and if I ask for anything less I shall still be in want,
for only in you have I all.
Lent is a reminder that we God is all we need and that in God we have all.
So dear friends in the name of the church invite you to observance of a holy lent–through fasting and prayer–in giving up of chocolate bars or bottles of beer… in giving up negativity or maybe complaining. In taking on a new prayer practice or in reading and meditating on the scriptures.
May whatever you do for the next forty days draw you into better relationship with yourself, your neighbor and God-may we use this time to store up treasures in heaven.
AMEN
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