Homily: March 2, 2022, Ash Wednesday

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 Today begins another holy season of Lent. A time to turn away from sinful ways. To turn back to God.

Ash Wednesday reminds us that we are from dust. Unto dust we shall return. God looked at dust and loved. He gave dust His breathe of life. God looks at us and loves. He gives us His body, blood and spirit.

What can we give Him?

“Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart”. God doesn’t want anything from us, He wants us.

Live in God. Live with God. Live for God. In God’s ways.

When I first came to this country, I saw crowds packing the mega churches. Non-Catholic Christian churches. I was really fascinated. Our Catholic churches are hardly ever filled. I asked an elderly priest, “why?”

He replied, “Ours is a worship and sacrifice. Theirs is a show.” People like shows, performances, excitement.

The world says, “be heard, be seen, be known, and be successful.”

The Gospel says, “pray but don’t be heard, fast but don’t be seen, give but don’t be known, and be faithful.”

That is how God is, unseen, hidden, working in secret. That is why the world doubts, “where is their God?” they question.

But God sees. He sees each of us. He sees in secret. He sees what’s real. Our hearts matter to Him, not our show.

What about us? What truly matters to us?

Be reconciled to God. Now is an acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation.


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Did you listen attentively to the Gospel reading? Yes? Let me test you… What did Jesus say? Did He say, “Whoever eats my bread and drinks my wine?”  No! He said, “Whoever eats my FLESH and drinks my BLOOD remains in me and I in him.” Yes, when you receive Holy Communion, you are receiving the real flesh and blood of Jesus. I am sure Fr. Roy, your catechists, parents and the whole parish community have prepared you well for this day, so you know what you are receiving today. But what I want to focus on now is the last part where Jesus says, ‘remains in me and I in him’. 29 years ago in 1996, I received my First Holy Communion. I was eight years old, but I still remember that day vividly. I remember the preparations, my First Reconciliation, and the excitement I felt when I lined up to receive Jesus for the very first time. I remember seeing the priest dipping the Precious Body into the Precious Blood, and then that precious moment – Jesus’ body and blood rested on my tongue. So swee...
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