Ash Wednesday signals the beginning, in the Church, of a season of purification and renewal, and of a time during which God pours out his loving compassion and peace for all in need
We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
As we begin this holy season of Lent, St. Paul’s blessed invitation can set the tone for our preparation of Easter. Paul’s appeal to be reconciled with God has echoed across the centuries. The ashes we receive at Mass this day—a sign of our repentance— date back sixteen hundred years, when sinners publicly expressed their sorrow for their sin. Why do we begin Lent with a spirit of repentance?
God our Father respects the freedom he has given us as his creatures. He asks, entreats, and invites us to draw near to him, rending our hearts, and not our garments (Joel 2:13), in true repentance and desire for reconciliation. He encourages us to have the attitude of the psalmist, acknowledging our sin and God’s justice, and bringing the acceptable sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:16-17).
How do we accomplish this? How do we respond to God’s invitation in an attitude of humble repentance? The truth is that God does not demand that we perform acts of piety merely to be seen by others. He doesn’t expect us to make ourselves holier. He knows that on our own, we can’t. Only God can enable us to say “yes” to him in our hearts. The Father made Jesus Christ, his sinless and perfect Son, “to be sin,” so that his redemption could penetrate into the darkest, most isolated part of our experience, so that we can become “the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our lives can be filled with the holiness of God, raised above the limitations and impotence of a humanity darkened by sin. What a great and glorious gift our heavenly Father offers us, bringing new life and an ever-increasing desire for deeper fellowship with God!
Let us not receive this gift in vain, or let his invitation fall on deaf ears. The appeal that St. Paul made centuries ago resounds today. “Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Our human cooperation is necessary if the power of the gospel is to be effective in our own lives and in the church. May our Lenten practices, meant to demonstrate our response to God, succeed in disposing us toward humility and receptivity.
Points for Meditation
• Take up God’s invitation to “rend your heart” (Joel 2:13) this Lent by examining your conscience. Ask the Lord to show you areas of sin that are blocking his love. Celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation and rejoice in God’s mercy.
• Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—the traditional practices of Lent—help us turn away from the things that so easily distract us. Pray about how you think the Lord wants you to take up these practices during Lent so that you can focus on him more intensely.
• Is there one area or pattern of sin in your life that continues to plague you? Ask the Lord to give you a victory in this area over the Lenten season.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, with the freedom you have given us, we say “yes” to your invitation! We long to be fully reconciled to you and to participate in your holiness. Make each day of Lent be a new “day of salvation” for us, bringing us a deeper knowledge and experience of your life.
This is a selection from A Year of Celebration: Experiencing God through the Feast Days of the Church, ed. Patricia Mitchell (The Word Among Us Press, 2001).
We all have areas of our lives that frustrate us: the way we can’t stop yelling at our kids, that chip on our shoulder that we can’t seem to get rid of, or that sinful habit that we can’t seem to overcome. We might even say that this is where we fall in “last place” in an imaginary lineup. But that’s not the way Jesus thinks. He is not running the earth like a race in which there are winners and losers and runners-up. There is no competition in the kingdom of God. He wants everyone to win—especially the ones the world might consider to be in last place.
Isn’t that good news? There is no line! It’s never too late to take the next step toward the Lord.
For instance, God might have been asking you for years to control your anger, remove the chip from your shoulder, or stop committing the same sin over and over again. But suppose that you do find the grace to change. He won’t ask, “What took you so long?” His mercy is abundant and overflowing. It doesn’t work on a schedule or a tight deadline, so you’re not late.
This is a hard concept to wrap our minds around. Jesus doesn’t keep time or measure progress the same way our boss or anybody else does. Everything depends on his free gift of grace—a gift that he offers us to the very end. That’s why “the last will be first” (Mark 10:31). It’s not necessarily because they will outrun the first; it’s because the people we consider “last” will be treated just as bountifully as the ones who we think are “first.”
Jesus promised that anyone who gives up his old way of life will receive “a hundred times more now in this present age . . . and eternal life in the age to come” (Mark 10:30). Even you.
This is an unusual race you’re running. The rules are stacked in your favor! So leave behind any frustration that you feel, and start fresh today once again. Ask the Lord to show you his mercy in just the place you need it. Let that mercy remind you that it’s never too late to change or to try again.
Let’s begin looking at this passage by thinking about what Jesus is not doing here. He isn’t trying to trick this man. He’s not trying to discourage him or tell him the only way to heaven is to get rid of all his money. He’s not saying that this fellow is not good enough or that his efforts at keeping the commandments count for nothing.
So what is Jesus doing? He’s offering this man a chance to take the next step. Looking at him with great love, he sees the man’s eager desire for salvation and tells him how to get there.
Today put yourself in this fellow’s place. Consider what Jesus might say to you as he looks into your eyes and loves you:
“Child, I see all the ways you are following my commands. I see how you are already pouring yourself out for me. I see all the big and small things you do—the ways you show your love to your family and friends, your faithful attendance at Mass, how you try hard to be patient and kind. I see it all, and it gives me great joy.
“But I have more for you! I want to show you who I am more clearly. I want you to feel my love more deeply. I want to give you more opportunities to share my love with the people in your life. I want you to take the next step because I can tell you’re ready for it.”
What might that next step be for you? The best way to find out is to ask the Holy Spirit to help you see it, and then keep your eyes open. It may be a simple act of service you can do for a friend. It may be a new, more patient and loving way to approach a challenging situation. It may be an unhealthy habit that you need to work toward overcoming.
Whatever that step is, always remember how much Jesus loves you. Know that anything you leave behind for him, anything you give to him, makes it easier for you to follow him. He promises that if you surrender the things that you treasure above him, he will reward you immensely.
So come, follow Jesus. He wants to share his wealth with you.
“Yes, Lord, I will follow you! Thank you for the way you love me.”
If you have ever been around little kids for an
extended length of time, you know that they are not picture-perfect
little angels. Some run around and knock things over, others ask
embarrassing questions, and some can’t help but interrupt their parents’
conversations. The kids who gathered around Jesus were no different.
There was probably a mix of all kinds of personalities and
dispositions—some were rambunctious, some were shy, some were
inquisitive, and some were demanding. But no matter how different they
were, each of them was attracted to Jesus. And he welcomed them all! In a
culture where children were taught to keep out of the way, Jesus wanted
them to come closer so that he could bless them. “Let them come,” he
said.
Jesus looks at us in the same way. He doesn’t mind if we don’t have
it all together. He doesn’t expect us to act perfectly around him. He
just wants to be close to us. He knows that each of us deeply desires to
be welcomed, to be valued, to belong. And that’s exactly what Jesus
wants to tell us. It doesn’t matter whether or not we feel worthy; it
doesn’t matter whether or not we fit some ideal of what a friend of
Jesus looks like. He just wants us to come to him.
With that in mind, read this passage again, and imagine all the
different kinds of children who were brought to Jesus. Think about the
love and patience he must have had. Think about his overflowing joy as
he interacted with them, both as a group and individually. Think about
how he loved and blessed each one in a special way.
Now, picture yourself as one of those children. Imagine he’s looking
at you as all the others are milling around. He says, “Don’t be afraid,”
and holds out his hand. He already knows you inside and out, and he
welcomes you. He doesn’t want you to feel unworthy. He sees the goodness
that he has put inside of you, and he knows the kind of person you can
become. Your rough edges will be smoothed.
Can you hear him inviting you? Go ahead and run to him!
“Jesus, help me to draw near to you like a child.”
How often God works in unexpected ways! Paul Couturier did not discover his full vocation until he had lived for more than half a
At a time in his life when most people
would be settling into their calling and even beginning to look toward
retirement, this humble, aging priest with no influence or connections
to speak of became one of the twentieth century’s greatest apostles of
Christian unity. Yves Congar, another renowned ecumenist, once said that
Couturier gave the ecumenical movement “its heart of love and prayer.”
Congar went on, “It was [Couturier] who, spiritually, founded that
immense movement which, today, bears the ecumenical hope of the world.”
Paul Couturier was born in Lyons, France, on July 29, 1881, into a
family of middle-class industrialists. He received the upbringing and
education typical of the people of his day until, at the age of
nineteen, he decided to dedicate his life to Christ in the priesthood.
He entered the Society of St. Irenaeus and was ordained in 1906. Even
early on in his priesthood, “Abbé Paul” had a deep reverence for the
Mass and a profound sense of the power of prayer—qualities that matured
and burned within him for the rest of his life.
After ordination, Abbé Paul was assigned to teach science at the
Institut des Chartreux, the college that his society ran. Couturier held
this position for forty years, even as he became increasingly involved
in the work of ecumenism. Further, though the priests of St. Irenaeus
normally lived together in community, Abbé Paul’s situation called for
something different. His only sister, Marie Antoinette, was in poor
health and could not live alone, and so he was allowed to live with her
in a simple flat in the city. Every evening, when all his brothers in
the Lord gathered for the evening meal and fellowship, Paul went off to
his sister’s apartment and looked after her.
A New Vocation Awakens
When he was in his early forties, it was suggested to Couturier by a
retreat master that he expand beyond his work as a teacher and help care
for refugees who had fled the Bolshevik Revolution. Through this work,
Couturier came to know many Orthodox Christians who had established a
Russian colony in Lyons.
For twelve years, Couturier gave these destitute Russians whatever
time he could spare from his duties as a teacher. This ministry of
charity awakened in him a desire to see all Christians come together in
love and mutual service. The words of one Orthodox archbishop from Kiev
found a home in his heart: “The walls of separation do not reach the
sky.”
In 1932, Couturier’s visit to a Benedictine priory in Belgium that
was dedicated to Christian unity only confirmed what was growing in his
heart. It was there that he discovered the writings of Cardinal Désiré
Joseph Mercier, an early ecumenist who wrote: “In order to unite, we
must love one another; to love one another, we must know one another; to
know one another, we must go and meet one another.” This was already
happening in Couturier’s life, and he longed to see it happen to all
Christians.
At the priory, Couturier also became aware of the limitations of the
Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, which had been established with
the aim of asking God to guide Anglicans back to Roman Catholicism.
Couturier adapted the octave to encompass the unity of all Christians
and refocused it on Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper. He made John
17:21—”Father, that they may all be one”— its spiritual anchor. In 1933,
Couturier launched this revised observance in Lyons, and from that
point on, he devoted his life to promoting the week of prayer throughout
the world. He wrote articles, distributed tracts, and invited guest
speakers—all with the goal of encouraging Christians to pray together
for the unity that he knew Jesus so desired.
United with Christ in Prayer
In an era when it was still uncommon for Christians of different
denominations to associate with one another, Couturier felt that not
only should they pray for one another, they must pray with one another.
And they should pray “that the unity of all Christians may come, such as
Christ wills and by the means he wills.” Couturier understood that each
person has his or her own vision for bringing the church back together,
but he knew that it is only as we all prayerfully listen to God that we
will understand his way toward unity. Praying this way would also allow
Christians to come together without trying to win one another over to
their own denominations.
Faithful to his own Catholic tradition, Couturier called the church
his “well-beloved Mother.” Yet he had a sensitive understanding and
sympathy for other Christian traditions and was quick to see the truths
contained in them. He realized that it was not just doctrinal
differences that kept Christians separated. Catholics, Orthodox, and
Protestants all had painful memories of suffering and humiliation at one
another’s hands, and attitudes of hostility and suspicion had hardened
over centuries.
Couturier felt that these mindsets separating Christians could only
be overcome by repentance. He was convinced of the need for Christians
to do penance for their pride and lack of charity and to ask forgiveness
for the sins that their churches committed against other Christian
brothers and sisters. In his own prayer, Couturier was moved by the
image of Jesus hanging on the cross in agony, his body torn and broken.
Even today, Jesus continues to suffer the pains of his body on earth—the
church torn by division and enmity.
A Circle of Love
Through his efforts to foster what he called “spiritual ecumenism,”
Couturier developed a wide circle of friendships. He had the warmth and
ability to stretch out his hand across denominational boundaries and
bring others to share in the cause so close to his heart. He visited
England twice and established strong friendships among Anglican clergy
and the Anglican monks from the Community of the Resurrection. In 1940,
he was also visited by Roger Schutz, the founder of the ecumenical
community of Taizé in France, and he returned the visit in 1941.
While Couturier encouraged serious discussion of ecumenical issues,
he always insisted that any dialogue be surrounded by an atmosphere of
mutual prayer to avoid tension or sterile debate. His contact with a
group of Reformed pastors led to the establishment of the Groupe des
Dombes which, beginning in 1937, brought together French and Swiss
priests and pastors in an annual retreat for prayer and ecumenical
discussion.
All the friendships Couturier established grew deeper through a
voluminous correspondence. With some friends, he created an “invisible
monastery,” a spiritual communion of people who, without knowing one
another, nevertheless committed themselves to praying together for
Christian unity.
All these activities and relationships did not prevent Couturier from
giving as much time and money as possible to promoting the Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity. As a result of his efforts, the observance
was gradually embraced throughout France and beyond. Today, the theme
and biblical texts for the world-wide annual Week of Prayer are prepared
by a joint committee of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches’ Commission on Faith
and Order.
A Far-Reaching Apostolate
Long frail and diabetic, Abbé Paul’s health was further undermined by
a brief imprisonment in Lyons by the Gestapo during World War II on
suspicion of conspiracy. Nonetheless, he energetically carried on his
work throughout the late 1940s. Even after he developed a grave heart
condition in 1951, Couturier continued his correspondence and celebrated
Mass daily in the small chapel he had set up in the flat that he shared
with his sister. The Mass plunged him into Jesus’ sacrifice on the
cross, the center of his faith. It was there that Couturier lived his
ecumenical ideal most profoundly—in union with Jesus, the Reconciler of
Christians.
When Couturier died on March 24, 1953, at the age of seventy-two,
photographs, letters, lists of prayer intentions, and mementos of
friends were found on his altar. His wide heart had brought all these
people and their needs before the Lord daily in Mass. On the walls of
his room hung Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant crosses, Russian icons, and
a poster advertising that year’s week of prayer. Here was a man
absorbed with the desire for Christian unity, a man whose entire life
was focused on the goal of bringing together the scattered children of
God.
By helping so many people see the need for healing in the body of
Christ, Paul Couturier did much to prepare the way for the great work of
Vatican II and the ecumenical ventures undertaken since then. May his
prophetic words find a place in our hearts this new millennium:
A great miracle is beginning to be performed on the threshold of a
new epoch. It is the beginning of the transformation of broken
Christianity into a Christianity truly one according to the unity willed
by Christ. . . .
Born of heroism, ecumenism . . . will be maintained and will go
forward only if it is sustained by heroic prayer . . . strenuous prayer
which will ascend ever more fully and fervently from the multitude of
Christians of both the old and the young churches. . . . He who should
fail to contribute to this gigantic labor to which the Holy Spirit is
calling all baptized members of Christ would be guilty of betrayal.
John and the other disciples were missing the point. Alarmed that a stranger was using Jesus’ name to cast out demons, they tried to stop him. Why wasn’t their first reaction gratitude? Or joy? Or awe and wonder? Jesus’ power is so great that even someone who didn’t belong to their band of followers could perform a mighty deed just by calling on his name!
Sometimes we miss the point as well—but in a slightly different way. We miss out on the grace available to us when we pray in the name of Jesus. God has given Jesus authority over all of heaven and earth, and Jesus promised that in the authority of his name all of his followers can work wonders (Matthew 28:18; Mark 16:17-18). He even promised, “Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you” (John 16:23).
Just like the man in today’s Gospel, you can pray in the name of Jesus when you sense the presence of evil. Remember, the evil one loves to harass those who belong to Christ. As the father of lies, he can cause us to feel guilt and shame when we have already been forgiven. As the accuser, he is often behind our self-condemning thoughts. And as the enemy of everyone, he loves to cause division in relationships. So don’t underestimate his desire to wreak havoc.
When the seventy-two returned from their missionary journey, they told Jesus, “Even the demons are subject to us because of your name” (Luke 10:17). Evil quakes at the name of Jesus. Believe that demons flee at the mention of Jesus’ name, even when you’re the one speaking it!
So when you sense the evil one at work, go ahead and pray. You don’t need a lot of words. Just say, “Jesus, I come against this darkness in your name.”
Jesus’ name is truly “the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). His authority to dispel evil and darkness is not just reserved for him alone. You have been baptized into his name, and that means you can call on that name. He has placed his name in your heart, so call on it!
“Jesus, may your name be ever on my heart and lips.”
In fire gold and silver are tested, and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation. (Sirach 2:5)
Did you know that the ancient method of refining precious metals is still practiced today? Craftsmen still subject gold or silver to intense heat in a metal container called a crucible until it melts. Then the hot, molten metal is carefully stirred, and the impurities that rise to the top are skimmed off. The process was, and still is, dangerous, time consuming, and painstaking. But what emerges is beautiful, lustrous, and of great worth.
In times of adversity, we may feel as if we’re trapped in a fiery hot crucible. And far more often than when life is going smoothly, the heat of our trials can cause sinful thoughts, attitudes, and actions to bubble up to the surface.
Fortunately for us, Jesus is a skilled craftsman who knows how to refine us. He is sitting patiently by the cauldron with a watchful eye and skilled hand, carefully and meticulously removing every little impurity that floats to the surface.
Sometimes it’s painful to see these impurities bubble up in us. We may even want to ignore or hide some of them because we’re embarrassed or afraid of God’s reaction to them. He sees all of them, of course, so our best response to his work of refining us is to cooperate with him. Let those impurities see the light of day so that the Master Refiner can skim them away.
Let’s say you’re feeling exhausted or stressed, and you end up reacting harshly to a family member who needs your help. Don’t hide in shame! Don’t make excuses for yourself! Just bring that over-the-top reaction to the Lord. Ask him, and the person you have hurt, to forgive you. It may be uncomfortable, but that’s what refining is all about. Keep the end result in mind, and that will make it easier.
God doesn’t cause our difficult circumstances, but he can bring good out of them—and he often does. So when you find yourself in a fiery furnace, try to cooperate with him. Let those impurities come out so that he can skim them away. Over time, your life will shine—not with fake gold, but with the real gold of Christ.
“Lord, give me patience whenever I find myself in a ‘crucible of faith.’ Help me to stay close to you so that you can continue to purify me.”
Who can number these? . . . Who can explore these? (Sirach 1:2, 3)
Modern-day scientists can answer many of Sirach’s “unanswerable questions.” Sands of the seashore? Take the amount of grains of sand in a teaspoon and multiply it by the volume of all the beaches and deserts on earth: scientists estimate it’s over seven quintillion (that’s seven with eighteen zeroes after it). The depths of the abyss? Through unmanned submarines, scientists can descend three miles into the deep chasms of the ocean and study its mysteries.
But that knowledge is not the wisdom Sirach is talking about.
From now until Ash Wednesday, we will be reading from the Book of Sirach, a collection of sayings and moral teachings that is part of the wisdom literature in the Hebrew Bible. Today’s reading is a poetic introduction to the book, and it highlights this essential point: all wisdom comes from the Lord (Sirach 1:1). Wisdom helps us see the world as God does. Wisdom helps us know how to live in this world that God has created. Wisdom helps us understand who we are and how we should relate to the people in our lives. In short, wisdom—God’s wisdom—is available to guide every aspect of our lives.
Isn’t that good news? God doesn’t keep his wisdom to himself. He freely—lavishly—gives it to his friends. That includes you!
One of the most obvious ways God shares his wisdom is through his word. Sirach says, “The word of God on high is the fountain of wisdom” (1:5). St. Paul would agree—he urges Timothy to use the Scriptures to teach, correct, and train himself in all areas of righteous living (2 Timothy 3:16).
Today is a good day to take some time to seek God’s wisdom. Try sitting with the Scriptures for a bit, and allow them to sink into your mind and heart. Maybe use today’s readings. Or you could use a favorite psalm or a story from the Gospels. Whatever passage you choose, give yourself time to read prayerfully and to ponder what you read. Let the words open your heart to God’s heart. Let them open your eyes to the way God looks at things. Let them show you how to live.
God’s thoughts are indeed deeper than the abyss. So dive into his word, and discover all that he wants to show you.
“Father, thank you for teaching me the way of wisdom.”
