Ash Wednesday, 17 February 2021
ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST
‘Because I do not hope to turn again
Because I do not hope
Because I do not hope to turn…’
This is how TS Eliot begins his magisterial poem Ash Wednesday and it strikes a deeply sombre note. And we may, indeed, view Ash Wednesday as a solemn day, one on which we are smeared with the ash of burnt crosses from last year’s Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week.
But this is the first day of Lent which, as we have heard is ‘a season of penitence and fasting’ when we receive ‘the call to repentance’. But how seriously do we take it? Haven’t our Lenten vows come to be regarded a bit like those by -now -forgotten New Year’s resolutions? ‘What are you giving up for Lent?’ I ask a friend. ‘I’ve giving up giving up things,’ he replies, ‘what about you?’ ‘Alcohol,’ I reply already regretting my decision. ‘All alcohol?’ he enquires with a raised eyebrow. And that is enough to weaken my resolve and already I am tweaking the terms of my original resolution. Should I give up spirits, or wine, or both? Is beer allowed? Can I, as some believe, drink on Sundays as those don’t count? ‘Well, at least I’ll lose some weight and give my liver a rest,’ I remark. And I am off! It always has to be on my terms. It can never be simple. I cannot stick to my original intention even in something comparatively small, such as giving up one of my pleasurable habits for 40 days, just over a month. Congratulations, I say to myself, you are human which is, of course, all too obvious to others. But, like the hypocrites just mentioned in the Matthew reading, I am concerned with keeping up appearances. And, If I give up alcohol, I can look miserable and gain both sympathy and admiration. Win, win! Even ashes can be worn as an outward sign of pride, a badge of honour for the wrong reasons.
So what is Ash Wednesday really about? Clues are given to us throughout this service. To begin with we are called to ‘take to heart the call to repentance’ – remember the words ‘take to heart’. And these are followed by ‘and the assurance of forgiveness’ – remember these words too.
In the first reading from Joel we heard that in the terrible ‘day of darkness and gloom’, the Lord says: ‘return to me with all your heart…’ and to ‘rend you hearts and not your clothing’.
This gets to the heart of matter – true repentance is just not an idea, a phantasy or a vague wish, it involves the heart, our truest and deepest feelings – and it is an interior act of penitence not just one of outward show. If this is not heart-felt – and I am not talking about mere sentimentality – then it has no real meaning.
As TS Eliot goes on to say:
Lord I am not worthy
Lord I am not worthy
But speak the word only…
In order to hear the Word we need to find silence and perhaps to seek solitude. Eliot also says:
Teach us to sit still.
And, in the Gospel reading we are advised: ‘whenever 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 what is our reward? It is healing for our hearts. It is reconciliation. It is transformation. For today is the first day of 40 leading to Easter Sunday. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust… in the sure hope of the Resurrection.
Amen.