Throughout the Lenten season, we will post reflections for holy days and Sundays from this year’s Lenten reflection booklet, Return to me with all your heart, which includes all-new reflections written by Ralph McCloud, and excerpts from past booklets, like the one posted below, written for Pax Christi USA in 1992 by Fr. Joe Healey, MM. Click here to see all reflections as they are posted as well as links to other Lenten resources on our Lent 2025 webpage.
If you are looking for a daily reflection booklet specially curated for Lent, you can still purchase and download this year’s e-booklet, Return to me with all your heart: Reflections for Lent 2025.
REFLECTION FOR ASH WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2025
by Fr. Joseph Healey, MM
from “Faces of Africa: Lent 1992”
Joel 2:12-18 | Psalm 51 | 2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2 | Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Veronica wanted to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. It was the Monday of Holy Week at Ndoleleji Parish in Shinyanga Diocese, Tanzania. After the morning celebration of the Eucharist, the catechist told me that a woman who couldn’t speak (a mute person) wanted to go to confession.
Veronica came into the sacristy, knelt down in front of me, and sighed profoundly. She crossed her arms on her chest and bowed deeply. She pointed to the sky, then clutched her heart. She raised her fists in anger, then again crossed her arms on her chest and bowed deeply. She repeated this several times with different gestures.
I was deeply moved. Tears came to my eyes. As Veronica communicated her sorrow and desire to return to God through signs and gestures, I profoundly felt the action of God’s love and mercy powerfully alive in that small rural church. I felt moved to be God’s humble instrument of forgiveness and absolution. Even today, I get goose pimples thinking about that “holy” moment when God our loving Creator was so deeply present …
When Veronica confessed her sins and failings through signs and gestures, she truly evangelized me. I experienced the meaning of the words of Joel – “rend your hearts and return to your God” – as I never had before. Here was this materially poor Tanzanian woman, but God our loving Father-Mother was so rich in love and mercy. I thought of the Masai ethnic group’s beautiful name for God – “Nursing mother.”
Today we begin our 40-day spiritual journey of Lent. It is a time for inner metanoia and outward commitment. Like Veronica, we are called to “rend our hearts and return to your God.” This can be done through the sacrament of reconciliation, through paraliturgical penance services, through the penitential rite during the Eucharist, and at other “forgiving” moments. Our inner conversion is matched by an outward commitment to perform “deeds of mercy” (Matthew 6:4) in secret.
We can immerse ourselves in the rich signs and symbols of this Lenten season starting with today’s ashes. These signs and symbols can make Lent more real and down to earth. Let us also remember that when we come down from the altar of sacrifice we bring not the ashes but the fire – the fire of commitment to justice, peace, equality, inclusiveness, and service to others.
Reflection
Do you remember a “forgiving moment” that deeply affected you? A time when you asked forgiveness of another … when someone asked it of you … when you witnessed or read about a “forgiving moment”?
Fr. Joe Healey served as a Maryknoll missioner in East Africa from 1968 until 2022. He is the author of Towards an African Narrative Theology, Once Upon a Time in Africa, and Small Christian Communities Today.
Thank you.
Maria
Ty for this beautiful reflection.
A powerful reflection.