Mass Reading Reflection – Divine Appeals
Ash Wednesday
First Reading – Joel 2:12-18
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 51:3-4.5-6ab.12- 13.14 and 17 (R. cf. 3a)
Second Reading – 2 Corinthians 5:20, 6:2
Gospel – Matthew 6: 1-6, 16 – 18
DIVINE APPEAL 260: “Pray, do acts of reparation and fast not only from
food. Repent not only for yourself.”
DIVINE APPEAL 279: “It is high time to pray, do acts of reparation, fasting, penance, Holy
sacrifice. Pray, pray, pray.”
The Scriptures today draw us into the mystery of true conversion. Instead of boasting about outward sacrifice, the psalmist calls for an internal metamorphosis—a pure heart, a firm spirit, a soul that understands its need for mercy. With the fervor of a soul fervently seeking Christ, St. Paul declares that the time is right and the day of salvation is now. This is a call to action rather than a call to wait. Jesus reminds us in the Gospel that true righteousness flourishes in the invisible world and warns against the necessity of human acceptance. When we fast, let it be for self-glorification as well as for nourishment. We should pray for communion with God rather than for admiration. When we donate, we should do so out of love for people, not for praise. Our Adorable Jesus desires not grand displays, but hearts that quietly burn for Him in the silence of sacrifice.
On this solemn day, our Adorable Jesus extends His wounded hands, not in reproach, but in a plea for our return. He does not seek mere gestures of repentance, but hearts shattered with love, longing for restoration. The prophet Joel cries out for a turning back, not just in words, but in the very fabric of our being. True fasting is not simply from food but from pride, indifference, and complacency. Divine Appeal 260 reminds us that our penance must be wide and deep—not confined to personal sins, but offered for a world drowning in rebellion against God. Likewise, Divine Appeal 279 urgently calls us to unceasing prayer, acts of reparation, and sacrifices hidden from human eyes but radiant before heaven. Ash Wednesday is not a ritual; it is an invitation into the heart of divine mercy, where our smallest offering, when given with love, can help heal the wounds of the world.
These saints understood this well. St. John Vianney was limited in physical strength but immense in spirit-draining long hours from the community for prayer, fasting, and ceaselessly hearing confessions, drawing many back to God through self-effacing sacrifice. St. Thérèse of Lisieux practiced her “little way,” donating even those acts that nobody saw to be counted as a fragrance before our Adorable Jesus. Similarly, St. Faustina endured sufferings in silence with Christ for the salvation of souls. We are also called to this as part of a hidden work of grace. The ashes on our foreheads should not only be an external mark , but truly an imprint on the heart; a promise to live differently, to love without counting the cost, and to pray without ceasing. Let our fasting go beyond mere abstinence from food: as a renunciation of selfishness, pride, and indifference, that our Adorable Jesus may transform us into vessels of His mercy and grace. Let us commit to pray not only for ourselves but for the conversion of the world. Let us make reparation, trusting that even the tiniest hidden act, when given with love, becomes a force of grace that shakes the heavens.
Prayer
O our Adorable Jesus, receive this day not just our words, but our very hearts. Let our fasting be a hunger for You, our prayer a bridge for lost souls, our sacrifices a balm for Your wounds. May our hidden acts of love rise like incense, drawing the world back to Your mercy. Amen.