Happy Ash Wednesday! That isn’t a greeting one usually hears. Happy Christmas or Happy Easter, but Happy Ash Wednesday? In some ways, this day appears to be anything but happy. It marks the beginning of Lent, the season of penitence and self-denial. In days gone by, devout Christians would put on their hair shirts and begin a fast. 

Ash Wednesday offers an abrupt shift of tone - a jolt - that aims to shake off any spiritual complacency. Suddenly there is a call not to rejoice, but to repent. You are being encouraged to do some introspection, to shine a bright light into the dark corners of your soul.

Today most Episcopal churches offer a Holy Eucharist with the imposition of ashes on the forehead. The ashes are a sign of death - yours and Christ’s. As the priest draws the cross on your forehead, you will hear the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It is a solemn reminder of your own mortality.

Before you get to heaven, you will need to answer some questions. Have I sinned? In what way? Against whom? That bright light is applied in the way a doctor or dermatologist shines a light onto your face to examine what needs to be treated. It can be an uncomfortable experience. 

One congregation where I served complained to me that I talked too much about sin. Didn’t I know know that my job was to make them feel good about themselves? Sadly, that’s not how it works. The doctor wouldn’t be doing their job if he or she didn’t mention what was wrong with you. 

The fact is, we are all sinners. All of us have fallen short. We are incapable of curing ourselves of sin, which is why we ask for forgiveness from God. But forgiveness is not to be bought cheaply. First comes self-examination, contrition and repentance.

During the Easter Vigil, the deacon traditionally sings the Exsultet, the song that announces the victory of Christ over sin and death. Included in this long paean of praise are the words, “O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!”

This “happy fault” - felix culpa in Latin - is what drew the attention of Jesus to our sorry plight. Through his sacrifice our fault was obliterated and life restored. The base metal of sin was transfigured into the gold of love and mercy. St. Paul writes, "Therefore just as one man’s [Adam’s] trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s [Jesus’] act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.” (Romans 5:18)

So I say, “Happy Ash Wednesday!” May today be a time of honest reflection and repentance, guided by prayer and a renewed commitment to follow Christ. As the priest traces the sign of the cross on your forehead, stare death in the face and place your whole trust in God. After a time, the face of death will give way to a vision of Christ. It is he who beckons you to share his glory, now - today - and in the world to come. Amen. 

Have a Blessed and Holy Lent.

Father David