Gospel-Homily for Ash Wednesday (2024)

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Christianity is Ordinary People Empowered to Do the Extraordinary

The goal for Lent is to get to Easter. Paul, in his letter, told us how to do that. We are buried with Christ so we can rise with Him. Allow me to illustrate this with an analogy.

There was a buy-one-get-one-free deal, so I bought 500 hundred tulip bulbs. I planted a thousand bulbs around the church in the fall. The bulbs sat in the ground all winter, freezing to death, and then one day in the spring, they all sprouted at the same time.  They grow up side by side, and on the very same day, they all blossom into beautiful flowers. It is amazing. On the same day! How do they do that?  Do they text message each other?

When we die with Christ, we all rise with Him together, which is a glorious sight.

One Lent a Hindu decided to become Catholic so he entered the RCIA program to study Catholicism. He said to his instructor, “Let me get this straight; you are blessed if you are poor; you are blessed if you’re persecuted.  If someone strikes you on one side, turn and give him the other.  You have to love your enemy. I must pick up my cross EVERY day. I must forgive seven times seventy. I am not sure I can do this. Christianity is for extraordinary people like Gandhi and Mother Teresa.”  The instructor replied, “Just hang in there. We are not done yet.” When the course was done, the Hindu declared, “Now I think I understand Christianity a little better. God empowers ordinary people like the fisherman and me to do exceptional things.” Think about that. This is our moment, our time to be extraordinary.