Now is the Time: Show me love

Have you seen the Coca Cola commercial #MakeItHappy?

That odd synthesized chorus in the background is “Show Me Love” by Hundred Waters.

It’s an interesting lens to use today as everyone is putting up #AshTag selfies.

On Ash Wednesday snap a photo of your ashes & tweet with #ashtag. You could receive this book! http://t.co/qdFQ3tpzBw pic.twitter.com/xemU0hVf98

— USCCB (@USCCB) February 14, 2015

We are capable of great cruelty and ugliness. We are also capable of great love and forgiveness. What are you going to spread this Lent?

Today’s readings warn us about the dangers of forgetting why we fast.

 Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them…

 When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites…

To paraphrase Jesus a little: If you fast or do righteous deeds… Show me love. Don’t loose track of the love that is at the base of your Lenten preparation, the reason for your fasting.

When we mark ourselves with ashes today, we remind ourselves that we are sinners and we are in need of redemption. Try not to give into pride. We don’t mark ourselves to be praised and exulted. We mark ourselves because we know we need help. We need preparation. We need to change. We need to be converted. We mark ourselves because we are sinners, sinners who have hope.

The first lines of the song on the Coca Cola commercial say:

Don’t let me show cruelty
Though I may make mistakes
Don’t let me show ugliness
Though I know I can hate

Today we acknowledge the reality of our cruelty and our ugliness. We acknowledge our need to prepare. We will make mistakes. We know we can hate. But that doesn’t need to be the end of the story. Let us pray that the ashes on our foreheads remind us of our need to be converted. Let us pray that our fasting lead us to conversion. Now is the time to prepare. We prepare ourselves so that we might show love more fully every day.

Show me love
Show me love
Show me love