Due to severe knee pain, the Holy Father did not celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass. However, his Homily was read by the Cardinal Secretary of State.
Vatican City (02/03/2022 5:15 PM, Gaudium Press) On the afternoon of Wednesday, March 2, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, presided over the Mass of imposition of ashes at Santa Sabina Basilica. Pope Francis did not celebrate this Eucharist due to severe pain in his knee. His Homily, however, was read by the Celebrant.
The Holy Father recalled how rewards always seem to be the springboard of our actions, as in “our heart, there is a thirst, a desire to achieve a reward, which attracts us and moves us to fulfil what we do.” Yet, “on Ash Wednesday, our attention is focused more on the commitment required by the journey of Faith rather than on the prize that comes with it.”
The reward from the Father and the rewards from others
Francis noted that there are two kinds of reward. “eward from the Father and, on the other hand, a reward from others. The first is eternal, the true and ultimate reward, the purpose of our lives. The second is ephemeral, a spotlight we seek whenever the admiration of others and worldly success become the most important thing for us, our greatest gratification,” he emphasized.
According to him, the reward of men is an illusion, “like a mirage that, once we get there, proves illusory; it leaves us unfulfilled. Restlessness and discontent are always around the corner for those who look to a worldliness that attracts but then disappoints. Those who seek worldly rewards never find peace or contribute to peace. They lose sight of the Father and their brothers and sisters .”
The rite of ashes and the illness of appearance
Addressing the rite of ashes, the Pontiff observed that “this austere sign, which leads us to reflect on the transience of our human condition, is like a medicine that has a bitter taste and yet is effective for curing the illness of appearances, a spiritual illness that enslaves us and makes us dependent on the admiration of others. It is a true “slavery” of the eyes and the mind (cf. Eph 6:6, Col 3:22). A slavery that makes us live our lives for vainglory, where what counts is not our purity of heart but the admiration of others. Not how God sees us, but how others see us.”
The Holy Father warns that this “illness of appearances” is often present in the most sacred spheres such as “even Prayer, charity and fasting can become self-referential. In every act, even the most noble, there can hide the worm of self-complacency. Then our heart is not completely free, for it seeks, not the love of the Father and of our brothers and sisters, but human approval, people’s applause, our own glory. Everything can then become a kind of pretense before God, before oneself and before others.”
Lent, a path of healing
Cardinal Parolin then emphasized that Lent is a time that the Lord has given us to return to life, be healed interiorly, and walk towards Easter, towards that which does not pass away, towards the reward with the Father. It is a journey of healing. Not to change everything overnight, but to live each day with a new spirit, with a different style. This is what Prayer, charity and fasting are for: purified by the Lenten ashes, cleansed of the hypocrisy of appearance, one finds the full strength to generate a living relationship with God again, with one’s brothers and sisters, and with oneself, he stated.
Prayer, charity and fasting
Finally, Pope Francis’ message deals with Prayer, charity and fasting. According to the Pontiff, “if Prayer is real, it necessarily bears fruit in charity. And charity sets us free from the worst form of enslavement, which is slavery to self. Lenten charity, purified by these ashes, brings us back to what is essential, to the deep joy to be found in giving. Almsgiving, practised far from the spotlights, fills the heart with peace and hope.”
Fasting, on the other hand, is not a diet, “Indeed, it sets us free from the self-centred and obsessive quest of physical fitness. Fasting makes us appreciate things for their true worth. It reminds us in a concrete way that life must not be made dependent upon the fleeting landscape of the present world. Nor should fasting be restricted to food alone. Especially in Lent, we should fast from anything that can create any kind of addiction in us. This is something each of us should reflect on so as to fast in a way that will have an effect on our actual lives.”
The Holy Father concluded by pointing out that “Prayer, charity and fasting are not medicines meant only for ourselves but for everyone: they can change history. First, because those who experience their effects almost unconsciously pass them on to others; but above all, because Prayer, charity and fasting are the principal ways for God to intervene in our lives and in the world.” (EPC)
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj
