“Let us begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service so that as we take up the battle of spiritual evil, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint,” said Bishop Edward Malesic as he begin the celebration of Ash Wednesday Mass in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
Hundreds of people attended the noon Mass and received ashes during the livestreamed liturgy.
In the Gospel from St. Matthew, the faithful were told that they should perform righteous acts, including giving alms, praying and fasting, privately. The Lord sees what is done in private and he will repay you, the Gospel said.
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Bishop Malesic said this year, “Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day or Valentine’s Day falls on Ash Wednesday … Should this day of love eclipse this day of penance or should this day of penance eclipse this day of love? Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday are not in open conflict. Both are days of giving love,” he said, asking the faithful to think about the nature of love.
Its classic definition says love is willing the good of another. Love also can mean the willingness to lay down one’s life for another, as Jesus did for us, the bishop said. He encouraged the congregation to spend Lent contemplating the love of God.
During Lent, praying, fasting and increased giving are three things the faithful are asked to do out of love for God.
“Perhaps we need to jumpstart our prayer life. Now is the time to do that,” the bishop said, noting Mass, the My Daily Prayers feature offered by the Diocese of Cleveland, fasting and almsgiving are all ways to do this.
For those asking what it means and why we should do this, the bishop said it’s “a sign of our hunger for God and trying to fast from sin.” He explained that fasting could mean more than giving up a favorite food item and not eating between meals. It also could mean giving up things like anger, complaining, injustice, war, etc.
“Everything we have is a gift from God so it is good for us to be a blessing for someone else,” he said.
The ashes on our forehead are not for show, the bishop said. They are a sign of penitence, a reminder of what we should do during Lent and that we depend on God for everything.
“May this Lenten season make us better disciples of Jesus and increase our heart to receive God’s love as well as remind us that we love God enough that we want to be closer to him,” he added.
“By the time we reach Easter, may the dust of our sins be washed away by God’s mercy. May our love of God and God’s love for us make us ready for heaven and ready to be saints. Happy Lent, everyone,” Bishop Malesic said.
After Mass, members of the diocesan tribunal were available in the cathedral lobby to answer questions about marriage and the annulment process in the Catholic Church. Private consultations can be arranged. Click here for more information.
Archived versions of livestreamed liturgies from the cathedral can be viewed on demand here.
Lenten resources, including Bishop Malesic’s daily and Sunday Scripture reflections, My Daily Prayers, fish fry listings and other resources are available on the diocesan website.