Homily of Pope Benedict on Ash Wednesday 2010
A snippet
"...Salvation, in fact, is a gift, it is God's grace, but to have effect in my existence it requires my consent, an acceptance demonstrated in deeds, that is in the will to live like Jesus, to walk after him..."
"...understood in this perspective also is the penitential sign of the ashes, which are imposed on the head of those who begin with good will the lenten journey. It is essentially a gesture of humility, which means: I recognize myself for what I am, a frail creature, made of earth and destined to the earth, but also made in the image of God and destined to him. Dust, yes, but loved, molded by love, animated by his vital breath, capable of recognizing his voice and responding to him;"
Two realities on this lenten journey
1) we are invited to see ourselves as we really are. We have to take a long look into our life and remove the dross and remove the disguise and remove all that is not me. We must be stripped.
2)we are invited to see ourselves as God would want us to be. We must be cloth anew in the garment prepared for us in the gift of salvation. Our consent changes everything.
"lent lengthens our horizons and orients us to eternal life."
With every act of faith: praying a little harder, fasting a little more, giving to others, our horizon stretches outward and upward and we become the sign this generation longs for. We become the sign of Christ; we let the world know there is something greater.
A week ago today we were marked with ashes to let the world know the sign. the ashes are gone but we remain, our life, our heart shows forth that love is crucified, love is redeemed.
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