Ash Wednesday March 2, 2022
Fr. Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette
“Now is the day of salvation.” This is similar to a popular piece of advice: “live in the present moment.” There’s a piece of truth in that popular adage. The reality is that we only have the present. The past is gone and the future is not here. The present moment is most real, most important. But this only goes so far. Another, related popular dictum is “live with no regrets” as if being in the present moment justifies never considering past mistakes.
If all things depended on our perspective, our limited grasp of time and space, that might work out. Only the present is real to us, so why waste what is real thinking about what no longer exists? But things do not depend only on us. This launches us to the mystery of God’s eternity. When we say the past no longer exists for us, it is a figure of speech. For God, there really is no such thing as the past… or the future for that matter. For God, all moments in time are an eternal present. From the divine perspective, every moment in time is “now.” Our “Father who sees in secret” sees past, present, and future though everything except the present is hidden from us. Yet even we have some hint of their reality.
After all, the present moment is undeniably affected by the past. I wrote this homily in the past, which means I can give it in the present. Farmers who plant seeds are well aware of the continuity between past and present and the need to consider the future… Indeed, any successful business or well-ordered life must often consider the links across time.
“Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” St. Paul wrote those words 2000 years ago, but they remain real, true, and present to us. So what does this acceptable time mean for us who are always drifting from the past into the future? It means we must not use the fleeting nature of time as an excuse. It means that we must seize each moment for what it is: an encounter with God who keeps all things in existence. It also means that we need not burden ourselves so greatly.
Life requires us to respond to consequences of past actions. It requires us to plan for the future. But it does not require us to bear all these burdens at every moment. Today of all days is a unique chance to see both of these truths in action. Ash Wednesday requires us to acknowledge the past, to see our sins so that we can repent of them. You cannot “live without regret” because that is basically agreeing to go to Hell. You must acknowledge your sins, regret that you chose them, and repent of them by promising to avoid them in the future. Go to confession! If you get ashes on your forehead, but do not confess your sins, you are wasting your time. The ashes do nothing. They are not magic. They have no power. They do not give grace. They are a powerful symbol, but if your life contradicts the symbolism then they don’t help you. Ashes without contrition would make us hypocrites. The ashes mark that we acknowledge the reality of our sinful past, but without confession, we would remain bound by the past rather than freed in the present.
Of course, there is also the future. Now that we begin Lent, we must each decide for ourselves how we will spend the next 40 days carrying out that repentance. Jesus lists the classic three practices: giving alms, prayer, and fasting. We should all pick some way to practice each of these. What are you going to give to those in need? Money? Time? How much and how often? How will your prayer life grow? What devotions, meditations, or spiritual practices will you add to your daily life? And fasting. What will you give up? Mind you, it must be something good. If you’re giving up sin, great! But giving up sin is not fasting, that’s just repentance. Give up sin, but also choose something good and sacrifice it to train yourself to value God more than that thing.
And of course, all of these should be done with humility, without calling attention to ourselves. Do not post about them on social media. Do not bring them up in conversation. Simply do them as you have resolved and let them slide into the mystery of time that only God sees.
But in all of this, do not forget that now is the day of salvation. Acknowledge past sins, but do not dwell on them. Do not discourage yourself by looking too long at your own sins. They are past and, if the present moment is lived with genuine repentance, then they are no more, destroyed by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Do not overburden yourself either with trying to carry every Lenten penance at every moment. You’ve resolved to donate time and money, to avoid such-and-such, to pray an extra this or that… but not all at the same time! Now, all you have to do is participate in Mass. When the next moment comes, the one with almsgiving, prayer, or fasting, then attend to that thing in that moment but do not dwell on what comes next. Anticipation of suffering is worse than actual suffering. So do not anticipate it. Embrace it now and let it be past when it is past.
All moments in time are present to God at all times, but not so for us. There is only one time we have to encounter God and his redeeming, sanctifying love. That time is now. Now is the moment to repent. Now is the time to resolve. Now is the time to give thanks in the Eucharist. At another “now,” you will need to give alms or pray or fast or go to confession. At another “now,” you may need to plan for the future. At another “now,” you will need to process past experiences to heal, understand, and learn. Whatever the case, it is always the time for faith, for hope, for love. Do now what is needed now and leave the secrets of the past and future to God who sees in secret. Now is a very acceptable time. What will you do with it?