Ash Wednesday, 2016

Dear Friends in Christ,

Through the eloquent gesture of marking our foreheads with ashes on Ash Wednesday we began next liturgical season - Lent. Receiving ashes reminds us of the truth about our existence on earth, and inevitable frailty of our lives - " Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3,19).

Today, on the threshold of Lent, we hear the words of Christ who speaks to each of us: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel"(Mark 1:15). This phrase taken from the Gospel of Mark shows us the whole essence of this holy time in which we draw near and connect with Christ, who spent forty days in the desert fasting and praying to prepare Himself for the Easter events: Saving Passion, Death and Resurrection. The Time of Light and Joy of Easter is preceded by a time of silence, reflection and meditation on the meaning of human life, the meaning of suffering and death. It is also
a time of spiritual conversion and the experience of God, who is present in our daily life.

The essence of Lent is three-directional, and is expressed in three specific attitudes: prayer, fasting and almsgiving, which faithful believers take on to experience spiritual renewal and get closer to God.

Prayer is the first step in the spiritual life. On the one hand it is a way of deepening personal intimacy with God; on the other hand, it leads people to the openness to the plan that God has for them. There is no coincidence that Jesus taught his disciples the words: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6, 10b). Without the personal consent to the will of God the meaning of any prayers and other religious practices is warped. Opening up to the will of God is the fundamental condition of Christian life, without which it is difficult even to talk about the love of God. Where there is no love, all religious practices lose their meaning, in the words of St. Paul: If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor 13: 3). Therefore love comes first, and our prayer should be anchored in it.

The second pillar of the spiritual life is fasting. In the Christian tradition, every major feast has always had its eve and was preceded by fasting. The more important the feast was, the longer time of fasting was required. Fasting and celebrating are like the obverse and reverse of the same coin. Their inseparability clearly shows the primary role in one’s spiritual development and growing. Christian life cannot be depraved of a time of austerity.
Therefore, Christians ought to take on this practice frequently.

Through fasting we can look at our relationship with ourselves and restore our inner freedom. We can examine the areas in our lives which must be taken care of and improved, as well as taking control over our weaknesses and temptations. In one word, we can better understand who we are. The essence of fasting is based on the renunciation, accompanied by internal conversion and spiritual transformation. That is why Prophet Joel in the days
of fasting cried out: "Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God" (Joel 2:13). The main point of fasting is not only denying something, but also giving of oneself, forgiving and reconciling with neighbors. St. Augustine says that fasting has two wings: prayer and acts of charity. Only fasting connected with prayer and love becomes a great remedy for the way of salvation, because without them the external mortification means nothing.

The third pillar of Lent is almsgiving. Almsgiving applies to our relationship with our neighbors. It is expressed not only in financial terms, but first of all, and foremost, it applies
to our attitude towards others. Each one of us has to overcome indifference, hostility, malice and hatred. Our almsgiving should bear fruits of sensitivity to other people, reconciliation with people we don’t get along with well and strength of unity in the communities in which we live: church, family, work or school.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation plays a very vital role in our spiritual journey.
It is a gift we are given freely by God to reconnect with Him. Despite our weakness and sinfulness, God gave us a wonderful instrument to renew our filiations, which we may have lost. Lent is a unique time to ask ourselves: What really moves me away from God and from my neighbor? A sincere confession becomes a powerful instrument in our conversion.

At St. Matthew the Apostle Parish the Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated every Saturday 4:15pm-4:45pm and also during Lent every Monday 7:00pm-8:30pm. Don’t miss this great opportunity to be reborn spiritually.

In order to spiritually unite with Christ and together with Him make the Lenten journey let us remember about attending Stations of the Cross (every Tuesday at 7:30pm).

To all of you, my dear friends, I wish a fruitful Lenten journey. Let this unique time
of being in the desert of our hearts contribute to your spiritual growth and renewal.

God bless!

Fr. Kamil Stachowiak