Homily at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2017, Beverly Bingle RCWP

In our tradition Lent is the time

to remember Jesus' life and passion and death.

It’s a time of self-examination and penance.

It’s a time when we concentrate on re-shaping our lives

to learn what we can do without

so others can have something to do with.

Let’s start by remembering our unity with all creation,

each of us a part of God’s immense universe.

Let’s remember that we, like all of creation, are important.

Let’s remember that sometimes, though, we think we’re in charge,

that all too often we act like we’re the center of the universe—

as if everything is here for us,

for us to use, even to use up.

Lent calls us to remember that we live in, and through,

connections with all that was and is and shall be,

and that we are responsible for taking care—

care of ourselves,

care of our family and friends and neighbors

and enemies and all humankind,

care of animals and plants,

care of water and sky,

care of the whole planet, our common home.

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So we are called this Lent to ask God

to show us where we live in the illusion

that we are separate and apart from the rest of creation.

We are called to ask God

to show us the old, ingrained habits we need to get rid of;

to show us the ways we need to change;

to show us the new practices

that we need to get into the habit of doing.

This is the real work of Lent.

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It’s not about guilt or shame.

It’s not meant to make us crawl

or beat us down

or make us suffer.

The real work of Lent

is to renew our sense of connection,

restore our dignity,

and call us to a place where we choose life

and shoulder our responsibility to act co-creatively with God.

So let us answer the call

and take the first step on our Lenten journey.

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Call to the Lenten Journey

Priest: Lent calls us to journey along the edge.

All: Lent calls us to the cutting edge,

where the wheat falls to the ground and new life comes forth.

Priest: Lent not only calls us to give up something

but also invites us to participate

in the mystery of God-with-us.

All: God of all creation,

by your grace, call us from grief into gladness, from despair into hope,

from estrangement into right relations with you and with each other

and with the earth.

Blessing and Imposition of Ashes

So we begin.

We declare the fast, call the assembly,

listen to God’s voice, and act on it.

We’ll find the one thing that we can do

to change our lives this Lent—

and doing that, no matter if we stumble at it,

we will change the world.

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We will now bless these ashes,

and all will be invited to come forward

to receive the sign of the cross on our foreheads

as our communal act of penance—

the sign of dying to something negative in our lives

and preparing to rise in new and positive ways.

Let us embrace this opportunity to change our lives,

to embody our values,

and to walk humbly with our God.

Holy Spirit Catholic Community

Saturdays at 4:30 p.m./Sundays at 5:30 p.m.

at 3925 West Central Avenue

Toledo, OH 43606

(Washington Church)

www.holyspirittoledo.org

Rev. Dr. Bev Bingle, Pastor

Mailing address: 3156 Doyle Street, Toledo, OH 43608-2006