Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence. How can today’s practice set the tone for your Lent? How might fasting be more than a “church rule,” and instead a way to draw closer to your Father?
He Speaks: Finding Christ in the Days of Lent
Lent is not simply a journey toward Easter—it is a journey with Jesus. In these weekly reflections, He Speaks invites you to pause and listen to the voice of Christ in the Sunday Gospels, and to consider how he may be speaking into your own life. May these days be a time of gentle guidance, deeper trust, and a renewed sense of walking with the One who loves you.
REFLECTION
“And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”
This might sound very charming and quaint on paper, but hey, Jesus, get with the program! Scroll, stream, or tune in, and you will see that the loudest voice wins. But that’s not just a today thing, that’s apparently a human thing.
In today’s Gospel for Ash Wednesday, we see that those loud voices were also prominent in Jesus’ day. “When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you…”
The question is: why does Jesus care if we blow the trumpet or pray in public, or make our fasting a show? We’re still giving, praying, and fasting, right?
The short answer is: it’s what’s happening inside that counts. As Joel tells us in today’s first reading, we are called to “rend your hearts, not your garments.” If it’s not from the heart, all we have to show for our fasting, giving, or prayer is a ripped-up garment. This is Jesus’ point to his disciples: the reward comes from God, not from being seen.
If our gift, prayer, or fast is all about us, we miss the point. No amount of likes, follows, or shares can compare to the quiet reward God gives in secret.
Consider
Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence. How can today’s practice set the tone for your Lent? How might fasting be more than a “church rule,” and instead a way to draw closer to your Father?
Whisper Prayer
Father, soften my heart this Lent.
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