Gospel of the Ash Wednesday

“Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Mt 6:1-6;16-18).

I –Time of Penance and Reconciliation

In the Liturgical Cycle, throughout the year, the Church recalls the most important episodes of the earthly life of the Incarnate Word with didactic wisdom. The solemnities of the Annunciation and Christmas, the commemorations of the Easter Triduum and the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven, among others, form a varied kaleidoscope, presenting diverse aspects of the infinite perfection of our Redeemer to the piety of the faithful. The graces that Providence poured forth in each of these historic moments in some way revivify and descend on those who devoutly participate in the festivities. Preceding the most important solemnities—the Birth of the Saviour and His Passion, Death and Resurrection—the Church allots two periods of preparation: Advent and Lent. For the celebration of such sublime mysteries, it is fitting that the faithful purify their souls of failings and attachments, to prepare them to receive the divine gifts. On Ash Wednesday, the forty days preceding Holy Week begin. The three readings of this day—a passage from the Prophet Joel, an excerpt from the epistle of St. Paul and another from the Gospel—speak to us of the need for fasting and penance as a way to better combat vices, mortify the body and encourage the elevation of mind to God. Because, as Pope St. Leo the Great teaches us, “we mortify ourselves to extinguish concupiscence in us. And the result of mortification should be to renounce unjust actions and evil desires.” 1 As we will see further on, the liturgical texts in question make special reference to a form of penance which is particularly pleasing to God and which is essential for our spiritual life. It concerns avoiding excessive self-love, and the tendency to call attention to ourselves, so that the soul, cleansed and adorned with the virtue of humility, offers the Lord a sacrifice of pleasing aroma.
Scenes from the Holy Week ceremonies in the Cathedral of Malaga and the streets of Seville (Spain)

“Remember man, that you are dust” “Be reconciled with God”

The Ash Wednesday liturgy also reminds us of our mortality: “Memento homo quia pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris — Remember, man, that you are dust and unto dust you shall return,” categorically declares one of the two formulas used by the Church for the distribution of ashes. 2 After the ceremony, a dark smudge marks the foreheads of the faithful; its starkness seems to proclaim: “death could claim us at any moment, and reduce us to dust!” The thought of the terrible passage from this life to eternity is often disturbing, yet such considerations are highly beneficial to convince us of the need of avoiding sin, which closes the gates of Heaven to us forever: “Remember your last end, and you shall never sin” (Sir 7:36). For that reason, Dom Prospero Gueranger recommends: “If we wish to persevere in good, where the grace of God re-established us, let us be humble, accept the sentence, and consider life as nothing more than a journey, longer or shorter, which ends in the tomb.” 3

“Be reconciled with God”

In the first reading, St. Paul affirms: “We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (II Cor 5:20). Sin indeed distances us from God, making reconciliation necessary. Catholic doctrine teaches that not even the merits of Our Lady added to those of the Angels and the blessed in Heaven, and all who could have been created but were not, would be sufficient to repair the offence of a single venial sin. How much more so where grave sin is involved! A comparison can be made between venial sin and poor manners, which are more or less censurable, depending on the dignity of the person offended. For example, an act of impoliteness, trivial in itself, would be much graver if it were directed at a Pope. If it were committed, instead, against the infinite Being, who is God, there would be no human act capable of offering adequate reparation. How, then, is it possible to make satisfaction for all the sins committed by humanity since Adam and Eve? St. Paul tells us the solution prepared by Divine Wisdom: “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (II Cor 5:21). The Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, with His Passion and Death on the Cross, was the means chosen to restore full friendship with God to fallen humanity. On the other hand, the quantity of grace won by the sacrifice at Calvary was so superabundant that even all the faults of humanity combined could not surpass the infinite merits of the Most Precious Blood of Christ. 4 If Jesus had not paid the debt incurred by our first parents, by the oblation of His Body, our reconciliation with God5 would have been impossible and the gates of Heaven would be closed to us forever.

II – Self-Love, Prayer and Fasting

In the Gospel passage that we consider today, we see the Divine Master use a typical scene from those times as a didactic example. From a historical perspective, He admonishes an attitude particularly common among the Pharisees. But, since the word of God is eternal, it contains a lesson for the people of every era.

The primary drain of merits

“Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

The Pharisees excelled in hypocrisy. Led by pride, they turned inward to the point of forgetting God, performing their good works solely to gain prestige “before men.” The defect pointed out by Our Lord in this verse existed in the depth of their souls, and is as common today as it was then. In warning against this reprehensible attitude, Jesus sought to turn men away from a capital sin which is at the root of many vices, and which is commented on at the beginning of the Book of Ecclesiastes: “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Eccl 1:2).
Distribution of ashes in the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, in the Seminary of the Heralds of the Gospel in Caieiras (Brazil)
It can be said that some human acts are neutral, as for example, singing, cooking, sewing or painting; they draw substance and merit from the intention and the goal with which they are carried out. Others are good per se, by being ordained by reason toward a just goal. However, according to the Angelic Doctor, “an act that is virtuous generically may be rendered vicious by its connection with certain circumstances.” 6 Now, vanity often taints our acts of virtue and robs us of their merits. As Cardinal Gomá emphasises, it is “a pernicious enemy of good works: doing them with the goal of being seen and admired by others, means forfeiting the recompense connected to them when performed with right intention.” 7 The masters of the spiritual life affirm that the vice of vanity is so deeply rooted in man that it, so to speak, only leaves him half an hour after death. To overcome vanity requires much prayer, patience and effort. Prayer is needed to obtain the graces to resist it. Patience and effort, because we must fight against it day and night, preventing it from establishing itself in our soul, as St. John Chrysostom recommends: “It is necessary to be very watchful of its entrance, just as one is on guard against a wild beast ready to attack whoever is not vigilant.” 8 We can thus draw a terrible, but very true conclusion: vanity is the principal drain through which the merits of our prayers and good works are lost. It is also a poison for the soul, because it deprives it of strength to resist temptations and therefore exposes it to every kind of weakness and defeat. It is important to note, on the other hand, that in telling us: “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them,” the Master does not ask us to always hide when doing good, since practicing virtue before men can enlighten our neighbour and glorify the Creator, as the great Bossuet points out: “He does not forbid us to practice Christian virtue at every opportunity, for the edification of our neighbour; on the contrary, He says: ‘Let your light shine before men, so that they will see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.’ [...] Edify your neighbour by your external actions, and let everything you do, even a blink of the eyes, be well ordered, but let everything be done naturally and simply, with the goal of giving glory to God.” 9
“St. Paul” - St. Patrick’s Basilica, Montreal (Canada)”

Giving alms to win approval

“Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”

Not having yet received the regenerating sap of Christianity, humanity of that epoch was so dominated by egoism that to give alms was an uncommon custom. Whoever practiced almsgiving deemed himself worthy of the praise of others, for his feigned goodness. So, it was customary to give alms “with much fanfare.” 10 Furthermore: “It seems that to encourage generosity, it became custom to proclaim the name of donors [...] and even to honour them, offering them the first places in the synagogue.” 11 In this Gospel passage, Our Lord teaches that whoever gives alms to win the approval of others can consider himself well paid by the praise he gains. He should not expect a supernatural reward, for, as Father Tuya stresses, “God rewards in supernatural justice only that which is done supernaturally for love of Him, just as this censurable conduct of Pharisaical hypocrisy repulses Him.” 12 Yet God will indeed reward whoever gives alms discreetly, before Him alone and for love of Him.

We should expect a reward from God alone

“But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

In the previous verse, Our Lord reproached those who seek vainglory in the practice of almsgiving; in this verse, He admonishes vain complacency in the performance of good works. To counter this defect, we must do our utmost to avoid dwelling on the good we have done. “If it were possible—Bossuet comments—it would be necessary to hide from yourselves the good you do; seek to conceal at least its merit from your own eyes; [...] apply yourselves to the good deed to the point of never being concerned with what you will obtain in return: leave everything in God’s hands, so that He alone will see you, hiding you from your very selves.” 13 Cardinal Gomá follows the same reasoning: “If it were possible, we ourselves would be obliged to ignore our alms. We should expect reward from God alone.” 14 Complementing these affirmations, Maldonado adds: “There is no fault in being seen by others when one does good, the fault is, rather, in desiring to be seen. There is also no fault in desiring to be seen, as long as it is not to obtain the praise of men. ‘Let your light shine before men, so that they will see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.’” 15

Ostentatious prayers are all in vain

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward”

In those times it was the duty of every Jewish man to pray three times a day: in the morning, along with the morning sacrifice, at noontime and at the time of the evening sacrifice. The prayers were generally recited standing, with arms raised toward Heaven, to symbolize the gift hoped for. 16 People usually prayed within their own homes, but the Pharisees chose the most visible places in the synagogues or public squares. There they would make gestures and recite lengthy prayers from memory to impress passers-by. Needless to say, these prayers were in vain, since they had obtained what they sought: the approval of onlookers. Still, we should avoid the erroneous idea that Our Lord condemns all public prayer. In this verse, the Divine Master only rebukes the preoccupation with outward appearances, too common among the people of the time, and the general attitude of those who pray ostentatiously, solely for the praise of others.

We should be discreet in our life of piety

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

The Catechism teaches that the essence of prayer is the “elevation of the mind to God.” 17 Hence, it is possible for anyone to remain in prayer, even during the common acts of daily life, by doing them with a spirit turned toward Heaven. Therefore, to pray is it not necessary to make a display like the Pharisees. Rather, we should be discreet in the external manifestations of our personal piety, avoiding gestures or words that draw attention to ourselves. Yet, if our devotion is still noted by others, we need not be troubled; we should reassure ourselves with St. Augustine’s teaching: “There is no sin in being seen by men, but rather in acting with the goal of being seen by them.” 18
“St. Augustine” St. Mary’s Parish, Kitchener (Canada)

Fasting becomes a social affair

“And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”

The eastern spirit is inclined to dramatic expressions, which are at times beautiful, but which can exceed the normal standards of religious practice. This is what occurred with the Pharisees; while fasting, they sprinkled ashes on their heads, left their beards dishevelled and even made their faces up to convey an air of sadness, displaying a tragic appearance. 19 They made fasting a social affair, a dramatization, to convince others of their supposed virtue. They unhesitatingly used all available means to achieve this goal. Once again, Our Lord reproves them for making a show of virtue to impress others, and affirms they have already been rewarded for their fasting. This verse contains a lesson for us: when we do something difficult, we should not seek to attract the attention of others, soliciting congratulations. Many saints have carried out strict fasts, mortifications and alarming austerities, while maintaining a joyous and jovial exterior, by means of holy deception.

Joy and cleanliness in practicing virtue

“But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and  your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

In addition to once again making it clear that all our actions should revolve around God, Jesus highlights here how cleanliness is essential for the human creature. We should seek cleanliness of the body as a reflection of the purity that we desire for our soul. And by joining careful grooming with good actions we will help show that true happiness is found in the practice of virtue. St. Jerome explains the counsel to anoint one’s head: “He speaks in accordance with the manners of the province of Palestine, where it is the custom on festival days to anoint the head.” And adds that “what He enjoins, then, is that when we are fasting we should wear the appearance of joy and gladness.” 20

III – Lent Invites us to Grow in Humility

The Gospel of Ash Wednesday shows us the true spirit of Lent. We must not perform good works to win the approval of others, nor should we yield to pride or vanity. We should seek, rather, to please God alone in all things. In fasting, praying or carrying out any good work, we should avoid setting our sights on the benefits that we may win as a result. We should only seek the glory of the One who created us. Because everything we have, except sin, belongs to Him: our being, our intelligence and our soul are God’s. Our merits are also His, since without divine aid we are incapable of doing any good. Therefore, if we perform a good deed, we should immediately give credit to the Creator, paying Him due restitution of the merits, since they are His and not ours. “Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord” (I Cor 1:31), the Apostle warns. By the priesthood common to all the baptised, 21 each of the faithful is called, in certain circumstances, to act as mediator of the graces that come from God for the benefit of others, and of the praise that ascends from them to the Most High. On these occasions, we should carefully avoid appropriating anything to ourselves, since everything we have—virtue, goodness and beauty, the faculties of soul and the qualities of the body, and the development of our physical, intellectual and moral being—all comes from God. St. Teresa of Jesus defines humility in this way: “God is Sovereign Truth, and to be humble is to walk in truth, for it is absolutely true to say that we have no good thing in ourselves, but only misery and nothingness.” 22 We must acknowledge the goods that God has given us and render Him thanks, never setting ourselves in the line of this praise, nor considering ourselves the source of any virtue or quality.
“Last Judgement” by Fra Angelico - St. Mark’s Museum, Florence (Italy)
As Lent begins, we should seek, even above bodily mortification, to accept the wise invitation that the Liturgy extends to us, of combating self-love with all our might. “Ask if this were merited; ask for its reason, for its justification, and see whether you will find any other answer but sheer grace.” 23 On the day of the Final Judgement, only those who have conquered pride and egoism will be at the right hand of Our Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledging that “every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above” (Jas 1:17). Man has only two ways open to him: that of loving God above all things, to the point of forgetting self; or of loving self above all things, to the point of forgetting God. 24 There is no third love. We should, therefore, profit from this Lenten Season to grow in humility and become fully aware of our limitations, since “no one can receive anything except what is given him from Heaven” (Jn 3:27). These comforting words from renowned spiritual advisor, Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP, should encourage us: “The more our soul progresses in the life of grace, the more it will be a living image of the Blessed Trinity. At the beginning of our existence, egoism made us centre upon ourselves and love ourselves, attributing everything to ourselves. However, if we are docile to the inspirations from on high, the day will come in which we will dwell principally on God rather than ourselves. And in all things, whether pleasing or painful, we will love Him more than ourselves and constantly desire to bring souls to Him.” 25 ◊  

Notes

1 ST. LEO THE GREAT. In sermone 6 de Quadragesima, 2.

2 Roman Missal. 3.ed. Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2002, p.198.

3 GUERANGER, Prosper. L’Année liturgique. Le temps de la Septuagésime. Tours: Maison Alfred Mame et fils, 1921, p.240.

4 Cf. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologica, III, q.48, a.2.

5 Cf. Idem, q.1, a.2, ad 2.

6  ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologica, II-II, q.147, a.1, ad.1.

7 GOMÁ Y TOMÁS, Isidro. El Evangelio explicado. Barcelona: Casulleras, 1930, v.II, p.185.

8 ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM. Homiliae in Matthaeum. Hom. 19,1.

9 BOSSUET, Jácques-Bénigne. Œuvres Choisies de Bossuet. Versailles: Lebel, 1821, v.II, p.47-48.

10 TUYA, OP, Manuel de. Biblia comentada. Madrid: BAC, 1964, v.II, p.127.

11 Idem, ibidem.

12 Idem, p.126.

13 BOSSUET, op. cit., p.48.

14 GOMÁ Y TOMÁS, op. cit., p.186.

15 MALDONADO, SJ, Juan de. Comentarios a los cuatro Evangelios – I Evangelio de San Mateo. Madrid: BAC, 1950, p.282.

16 Cf. TUYA, OP, op. cit., p.129. Interestingly, the Salamanca professors make a point of translating the Greek word hestótes as “posing” (instead of “standing”), rightly observing that “posing” would fit much better with the context of this passage.

17 Catechism of the Catholic Church, n.2559.

18 ST. AUGUSTINE. De sermone Domini, 2, 3.

19 Cf. TUYA, OP, op. cit., p.151-152; GOMÁ Y TOMÁS, op. cit., p.191.

20 ST. JEROME, apud ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, Catena Aurea.

21 By Baptism, we participate “in the priesthood of Christ, in His prophetic and royal mission” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n.1268).

22 Cf. ST. TERESA OF JESUS. Interior Castle. Sixth Mansion, c.10, § 6-7.

23 ST. AUGUSTINE. Sermo 185: PL 38,999. In: Liturgy of the Hours I. Second Reading of December 24.

24 ST. AUGUSTINE. De Civitate Dei, XIV, 28: “Two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self.”

25 Garrigou-Lagrange, OP, Reginald. La Sainte Trinité et le don de soi. In: Vie Spirituelle n.265, maio, 1942.