On Feria Quarta Cinerum—Ash Wednesday—the Church places before us two powerful passages that call us to conversion: Joel 2:12-19 and Matthew 6:16-21. These readings set the tone for the penitential season of Lent, urging us to turn back to God with sincerity, fasting, and trust in His mercy. The wisdom of the Church Fathers deepens our understanding of these passages, helping us to embrace the Lenten call with hearts aflame for God.
“Return to Me with All Your Heart” (Joel 2:12-19)
The prophet Joel cries out with urgency:
“Now therefore, saith the Lord, be converted to Me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning. And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil.” (Joel 2:12-13)
This call to interior conversion resounds throughout Lent. The outward signs of fasting and mourning must reflect an inward transformation of the heart. St. Augustine emphasizes this in his Exposition on the Psalms:
“The rending of garments is an easy thing; but to rend the heart is to separate the soul from its vices and to tear it away from its attachments to sin.” (Enarrationes in Psalmos, 56:1)
The external acts of penance—fasting, weeping, and mourning—are meaningless if they do not correspond to an authentic return to God. St. John Chrysostom warns against mere outward piety:
“Do not show a sullen face when you fast; let not your face be sad, but bright. For fasting is not a punishment, but an honor. Do not be sullen while you are being healed.” (Homilies on Matthew, 19:6)
Here, we see the continuity between Joel and the Gospel: fasting must not be performed for human approval, but as a movement of the heart toward God.
“Lay Up for Yourselves Treasures in Heaven” (Matthew 6:16-21)
In the Gospel, Christ warns against hypocrisy in fasting, prayer, and almsgiving:
“And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to fast. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.” (Matthew 6:16)
This is a rebuke to those who seek human praise rather than divine favor. The Church Fathers frequently remind us that true fasting is not just abstaining from food but from sin. St. Basil the Great teaches:
“Do you fast? Give me proof by your works. If you see a poor man, take pity on him. If you see an enemy, be reconciled with him. If you see a friend in good repute, do not be jealous of him. Do not let your mouth fast, but your eye, your ear, your feet, and your hands, and all the members of your body.” (Homily on Fasting, 2)
Christ also tells us to store up heavenly treasures, reminding us that “where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also” (Matthew 6:21). This underscores the need for detachment from earthly goods. St. Cyprian of Carthage warns:
“A treasure is that to which the mind is turned, and the heart’s deepest affections are given… If you hoard your wealth on earth, you will perish with it. But if you send it to heaven through charity and good works, it will await you there forever.” (De Opere et Eleemosynis, 14)
Thus, Lent is a time to redirect our affections from worldly attachments to God, making Him our true treasure.
The Lenten Call: Conversion, Mercy, and Heavenly Treasure
These readings and the insights of the Fathers of the Church offer us three key lessons for Lent:
- True conversion is of the heart – Not mere external acts, but a deep interior turning to God.
- Fasting must be accompanied by charity – Not just abstaining from food, but from sin, selfishness, and pride.
- Seek the heavenly, not the earthly – Detach from the fleeting and place your heart in eternal things.
Lent is not simply about self-denial, but about returning to God. He calls us, like in Joel’s time, to repentance, and promises His mercy. May we take up the Lenten discipline with fervor, seeking not human recognition but the reward of Heaven.
As St. Leo the Great exhorts:
“Let us prepare to celebrate the holy fast with joy. Let us be nourished by temperance and fed by virtue. Let us flee from sin, and let our abstinence become a banquet of justice.” (Sermon 40 on Lent)
Let us return to the Lord with all our hearts!
✠ Deo gratias! ✠