Ash Wednesday | AirMaria.com

A Hospital Chaplain’s thoughts on an Ash Wednesday

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:00:07 +0000

Ave Maria Meditations

I had just placed ashes on his head. I was looking at him – with his dirty forehead lying there on the white sheets of the hospital bed – when he said, ‘Father can I ask you a question?’

‘Yes’, I replied, realizing full well there was an ashen cross on this sinner’s forehead too.

Then he asked: ‘Why do I need Lent?’

I thought for a moment and answered: Lent confronts the horror of my sin before the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who knew no sin (See 2 Cor. 5:21). Without coming to grips with my sin, I can’t see how much I need God’s love.

I need to see his love for me in the cross of Christ and the glory of Easter. Sins really do matter. We deceive ourselves into thinking, ‘we are not really that bad compared to everyone else – God is not really concerned about my little sins.’

We have an eternal soul and Lent is a mini purgatory. In purgatory the soul stands before God Almighty, helpless, stripped, naked just like the Lord has always seen us. We can’t dress up our sin to hide it from God. We stand like our Lord Jesus stripped of His garments before He was nailed to the cross.

Every pain in purgatory points to His cross and our failure to see our need of accepting Christ’s pardon of our sins. Purgatory will not let us go until we discover how Jesus wants us to love Him. Our sins nailed Christ to the cross and His love for our souls held Him there.

THE WAY OF THE PILGRIM, a work by an unknown Christian, has this prayer: “Lord, make me worthy to love you as I have loved sin in the past.” And then the pains of purgatory will be the joyous peace of Easter.

Peace,

Father Joe

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Feb 25 – Homily – Fr Ignatius: Ash Wednesday

apostolate — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:36:38 +0000

Homily #090225 ( 06min) Play – “Remember Man, you are dust and to dust you will return.” Ashes are a sign of humility for this season of Lent, a season of penance. This outward sign must be received on our hearts and so radiate in our actions.
Ave Maria!
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Ash Wednesday

Carol Girard — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:00:03 +0000

Entering into the Way of the Cross

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:00:15 +0000

One Minute Meditation

OPENING PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, for our sake you became like the grain of wheat that falls to the earth and dies, so that it may bear much fruit (cf. Jn.12:24). You invited us to follow you along this path when you told us “the one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (Jn.12:25). Yet we are attached to our life. We do not want to abandon it; we want to keep it all for ourselves. We want to hold on to it, not to give it away. But you go before us, showing us that it is only by giving away our life that we can save it.

As we walk with you on the Way of the Cross, you lead us along the way of the grain of wheat, the way of a fruitfulness that leads to eternity. The cross, our self-offering, weighs heavily upon us. Along your own Way of the Cross you also carried my cross. Nor did you carry it just at one distant moment in the past, for your love continues to accompany every moment of my life. Today you carry that cross with me and for me, and, amazingly, you want me, like Simon of Cyrene, to join you in carrying your cross; you want me to walk at your side and place myself with you at the service of the world’s redemption.

Grant that my Way of the Cross may not be just a moment of passing piety. Help all of us to accompany you not only with noble thoughts, but with all our hearts and in every step we take each day of our lives. Help us resolutely to set out on the Way of the Cross and to persevere on your path. Free us from the fear of the cross, from the fear of mockery, from the fear that our life may escape our grasp unless we cling possessively to everything it has to offer. Help us to unmask all those temptations that promise life, but whose enticements in the end leave us only empty and deluded. Help us not to take life, but to give it. As you accompany us on the path of the grain of wheat, help us to discover, in “losing our lives,” the path of love, the path that gives us true life, and life in abundance (Jn.10:10).

Opening prayer to the Way of the Cross 2005 by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger now Pope Benedict XVI

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Feb 17 – Homily – Fr Angelo: Our Time Is Limited

apostolate — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:37:47 +0000

Homily #100217 ( 08min) Play – How time flies, even in Lent. This time of penance comes and goes before we know it. Let us participate in the grace of Easter by participating in the 40 days of Lent.
Ave Maria! Mass readings

Audio (MP3)

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Feb 22 – Homily – Fr Angelo: Ashes, Hide or not

apostolate — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:42:01 +0000

Homily #120222 ( 08min) Play – Fr. Angelo Geiger points out the paradox that on Ash Wednesday when every one comes to have ashes put on their head as a public display of their faith yet the Gospel talks about doing all our good works in hiding.
Ave Maria!
Mass: Ash Wednesday – Wkdy – Form: OF
Readings:
1st: joe 2:12-18
Resp: psa 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
2nd: 2co 5:20-6:2
Gsp: mat 6:1-6, 16-18

Audio (MP3)

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Feb 13 – Homily – Fr George: Ash Wednesday

apostolate — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:40:02 +0000

Homily #130213 ( 12min) Play – As we begin the season of Lent, Fr. George reminds us of why we’re here and where we’re going, to live more carefully, and to fast, sacrifice and do penance for our sins.
Ave Maria!

Mass: Ash Wednesday – Wkdy – Form: OF
Readings:
1st: joe 2:12-18
Resp: psa 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
2nd: 2co 5:20-6:2
Gsp: mat 6:1-6, 16-18

Audio (MP3)

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Feb 13 – Homily – Fr Joachim: Sacrifice in Lent

apostolate — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 19:19:05 +0000

Homily #130213b ( 00min) Play – Fr. Joachim on how we need to make sacrifices during Lent in order to free ourselves from worldly and fleshly desires.
Ave Maria!
Mass: Ash Wednesday – Wkdy – Form: OF
Readings:
1st: joe 2:12-18
Resp: psa 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
2nd: 2co 5:20-6:2
Gsp: mat 6:1-6, 16-18

Audio (MP3)

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Mar 05 – Homily – Fr Elias: A Time to Mourn

apostolate — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 12:21:45 +0000

Homily #140305b ( 12min) Play – Fr. Elias on Ash Wednesday preaches that there is a time for everything and this is the time to morn for the sins of Adam and the those of the world in general. It is a time to turn away from things and toward God.

Ave Maria!
Mass: Ash Wednesday – Wkdy – Form: OF
Readings:
1st: joe 2:12-18
Resp: psa 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
2nd: 2co 5:20-6:2
Gsp: mat 6:1-6, 16-18

Audio (MP3)

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Mar 05 – Homily – Fr Benedict: Pray In Your Inner Room

Griswold Friars — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 13:07:35 +0000

Homily #140305 ( 11min) Play – Lent begins a time of testing, purification, repentance, and atonement for our sins. We go into our “inner room” to pray – the secret room of one’s heart, the place of refuge, such as with the Holy Rosary early in the morning.
Ave Maria!
Mass: Ash Wednesday – Wkdy – Form: OF
Readings:
1st: joe 2:12-18
Resp: psa 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
2nd: 2co 5:20-6:2
Gsp: mat 6:1-6, 16-18

Audio (MP3)

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