Wednesday, March 2, 2022 — Laying of ashes — Today, do not close your heart, but listen to the voice of the Lord — Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 6, 1-6. 16-18

We have a good teaching from Jesus this beginning of Lent. His teaching goes in the direction of generosity. He explains to us the meaning of love: the love of God and neighbour. And Jesus gives us the guideline. This love manifests itself through almsgiving, prayer and fasting.

Here, Jesus warns us about our way of practicing charity. One cannot be truly generous if one acts with the aim of gaining recognition. When we give alms, we do it out of love and in secret. When we pray, we pray in secret, it is an encounter with God. And it is prayer that can grow us in generosity. Because it is prayer that opens our hearts to love others. It opens our heart to contemplate God who loves us and inspires us to have a compassionate heart capable of turning to others. Fasting is also an act of generosity. For in fasting we put ourselves at the service of others. It is love that pushes us to self-sacrifice so that we can turn to our neighbors through our personal efforts. Let us therefore ask God so that his love may be engraved in our hearts. Thus, our heart becomes generous and compassionate.