Homily for Ash Wednesday 2005
When I was a graduate student
I remember going to the Ash Wednesday service.
When I returned to the lab
one of my Chinese co-workers, Wu bo-Li asked me,
"John, why do you have that dirt on your forehead?"
"Well, it is Ash Wednesday
and each person is signed with ashes."
"Why do you do this?"
"Well, first it reminds me of the fact that I will die one day,
that I will return to the dust of the earth.
But it is also to remind me of a commitment to conversion
to become a Christian,
to become more like Christ."
"But it is pretty strange, is it not?
Can't you do these things without putting this sign of your forehead?"
"Well, this is one of those things that makes us Catholic..."
As Catholics we use physical symbols all the time.
Water, oil, bread, wine, ashes —
gesture and dance, kneeling, standing, and sitting, —
and colors that change with the seasons.
Our faith is fall bodied
and its expression speaks to all of our senses,
to our whole person.
As Christians we are always being called to conversion,
to a change of heart and we mark this call with ashes in the form of a cross.
It seems to me that this call to conversion
"turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel,"
is not something that we just do for Lent
and when Lent stops we stop doing it.
As adults we are looking to make substantial change,
that is, changes that work on our core, on our hearts.
Today's Gospel reading provides a template for that conversion.
The Gospel gives us a call for almsgiving.
There are many people who struggle each day
to put food on the table,
single moms who are raising children alone,
pregnant women who are choosing to have a child rather than an abortion;
men who are recovering from drug abuse.
Our almsgiving can also be in the form of service.
We can make a decision to go on a service trip
or to volunteer for service in the local area.
The call to conversion includes developing a deeper prayer life.
For us as monks this can mean taking more time for reading scripture reflectively.
For students, I invite you to come to Eucharist more frequently.
Anytime we make ourselves available to God in a more sustained way,
God comes close to us.
In our culture many of us are trying to lose weight,
to be more healthy.
One way to think about fasting is to respect the life
that has been given to me.
We can be aware of our bodily life
and our need for nourishment each day.
Food is given to us by God for our sustenance.
To eat in a healthy manner is to respect the larger creation
and our place in it.
Even as we do this, we know that there are 800 million
people on this planet who do not have enough daily nourishment.
A quick trip to the website HungerSite.com and a single click
gives a cup of rice to a hungry person.
The choices that we make in this country
have an enormous impact on the well being of children and families
in Africa, Asia, and South America.
The Gospel calls us to a richer life in Christ,
a life of full discipleship with Christ.
Together as a community we take up these Lenten practices
so that we may look forward to Easter with joy and spiritual longing.
Abbot John Klassen, OSB
February 9, 2005
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