Wednesday 18 February 2015

Psalm: Psalm 51

Background

Today is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent and a timeof preparation for Easter. During this time of preparation, theChurch has followed a long tradition of self-denial andacknowledgement of all that cuts us off from God. It's called AshWednesday because of the ancient practice of people receiving amark on their foreheads in ash as a sign of their sorrow for theways they have failed God.

Yet Jesus, in the part of the Sermon on the Mount - a collectionof his teachings brought together in Matthew chapters 5-7 - appearsto forbid this practice (Matthew 6:16-18)! It's an external sign ofsomething that should only be seen by God. There is a middle way: Ipersonally find it helpful to receive the sign of ash as a reminderof my own failings, but I don't let the sign hang around too longon my forehead.

Jesus's teaching here is about the inner practice of faith -that which only God can see. He challenges us to give anonymously,to pray in secret, and to offer God our thoughts (verse 8) as wellas our spoken words. The prayer that he teaches - the "Lord'sPrayer" - is not taught to be recited from memory, but to be usedas a model for all our prayers, so that we remember to offer praiseand thanks, pray for God's reign, say sorry, forgive, and pray forourselves and others.

The aim of true religion is not so that we can receive thepraise of others, or earn God's love - washing and anointing aredone by people preparing for a banquet to which they areinvited!

To Ponder

• How are you going to use Lent to prepare for Easter? Is theresome spiritual practice you can take up as well as some harmfulhabit that you can give up?

• Think about ways in which you can practice your faith in secret- so that only you and God know about it.

• Jesus said "When you give alms, when you pray, when you fast …"Have you tried fasting? If so, how did it help your spirituality?And how can you give and pray meaningfully?