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Daily Gospel Commentary

Ash Wednesday

Commentary of the day
Saint John-Paul II, Pope from 1978 to 2005
General Audience of 16/02/1983

«Come back to me with all your heart» (Jl 2,12)

This important time in the liturgical year is characterized by the biblical message that can be summed up in a word… : “Repent”… The evocative ceremony of the ashes raises our minds to the eternal reality that will never pass away, to God who is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega of our existence (Rv 21,6). For conversion is indeed nothing other than a return to God, a putting earthly realities into perspective against the unfailing light of his truth. It is an evaluation that leads us to have an ever greater consciousness of the fact that we are only passing through the midst of this world’s toilsome vicissitudes and that prompts and encourages us to make every possible effort so that God’s Kingdom may be established within ourselves and his justice triumph.

The word « repentance » is equally synonymous with « conversion ». Lent calls upon us to put the spirit of repentance into practice, not according to its negative meaning of sadness and frustration but according to that of the uplifting of our minds, of freedom from evil, detachment from sin and all those influences that may hinder our progress towards fullness of life. Repentance as cure, reparation, change of mind, which disposes us for faith and grace but which presupposes will, effort and perseverance. It is repentance as an expression of our free and generous engagement in the following of Christ.


20 posted on 02/17/2015 9:51:29 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Let us fix our attention on the blood of Christ and recognize how precious it is to God his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world. If we review the various ages of history, we will see that in every generation the Lord has offered the opportunity of repentance to any who were willing to turn to him. When Noah preached God’s message of repentance, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed, but when they repented, their prayers gained God’s forgiveness for their sins, and they were saved, even though they were not of God’s people.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God’s grace have spoken of repentance; indeed, the Master of the whole universe himself spoke of repentance with an oath: As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the death of the sinner but his repentance. He added this evidence of his goodness: House of Israel, repent of your wickedness. Tell the sons of my people: If their sins should reach from earth to heaven, if they are brighter than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, you need only turn to me with your whole heart and say, “Father”, and I will listen to you as a holy people.

In other words, God wanted all his beloved ones to have the opportunity to repent and he confirmed this desire by his own almighty will. That is why we should obey his sovereign and glorious will and prayerfully entreat his mercy and kindness. We should be suppliant before him and turn to his compassion, rejecting empty works and quarrelling and jealousy which only lead to death.

-- Pope Saint Clement of Rome from his First Letter to the Corinthians

21 posted on 02/17/2015 9:57:32 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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