Homily for Friday after Ash Wednesday
Feb. 24, 2023
Collect
Provincial House, New Rochelle
Today’s
collect asks for the Lord’s “gracious favor.”
Our penances aim to please him but need his assistance to be carried out
and to be fruitful, for we are weak and prone to distractions.
We ask that we may be sincere in what we do—our fasting (whatever it is we fast from), our alms (whatever form that takes), and our prayer. The collect speaks specifically of “bodily observances,” which may take many forms, not only concerning food. I suppose none of us is undertaking what they used to call “the discipline.” But there is the discipline of controlling what we say to and about one another, and the discipline of attending to our responsibilities.
But
whatever we undertake will be sincere if it’s directed toward God as humble
service or praise, or toward the welfare of our neighbor (as Isaiah insists
upon today)—our neighbor confrere, student, house or office staff, or anyone
else. We pray we may sincerely do
whatever we undertake for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
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