# Ash Wednesday: a journey of the heart
*2020-01-25*

> On the start of Lent 2020, Bill Young reflects on human mortality amidst global uncertainty and introduces a Lenten devotional based on the writings of Father Henri Nouwen.

## Reflection in a Time of Uncertainty

Today is Ash Wednesday, 2020. As we begin this Lenten season, there is a lot happening in the world with the coronavirus spreading, including here in the U.S. This serves as a time to reflect on the fact that we are mortal human beings and that none of us will live forever. The CDC has suggested that the virus will spread more than we imagine, potentially leading to the closure of schools and the suspension of public gatherings—everything from sporting events to our weekly Sunday Mass and adoration.

If these disruptions occur, it will be an even more important time for reflection. While I hope and pray that such closures aren't necessary, I encourage you to turn to the archives of the Prayer N Lunch podcast for spiritual support during such a time.

## Spiritual Disciplines and Consecrations

Reading and study remain vital to our faith. We are currently in a consecration to St. Joseph, which began last Sunday and will conclude on his feast day, March 19. Following that, on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, we will begin a new book by Father Michael Gaitley titled 'To the Greater Glory,' which focuses on reaching the Father through Jesus. That study will conclude on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 19. These consecrations, alongside our ongoing devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, help us center our lives on Christ.

## The Journey of the Heart

For this Lenten season, I am using a booklet provided by St. David's Catholic Church titled 'Journey of the Heart: Lenten Reflections and Prayers with Father Henri J.M. Nouwen.' Father Nouwen, who passed away in 1996, was one of the most down-to-earth spiritual writers of the 20th century. 

In the introduction, editor Steve Miller notes that for Nouwen, the 'heart' is not merely the seat of feelings as opposed to thoughts, but rather the center of our being—the place where we are most ourselves and most human. The goal of these reflections is to recognize that Jesus is the heart of our existence. By pausing our hectic activity and quieting our hearts, we can attend to the divine presence within and around us as we prepare for the feast of the Resurrection in forty days.

## Ash Wednesday Prayer

The reflection for Ash Wednesday is titled 'Be With Me, Lord,' drawing from Joel 2:12: 'Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and mourning, when your hearts are not closed.'

In this season, we follow Jesus on His way to Jerusalem and Gethsemane to find victory over death. However, we often find ourselves divided; while we want to follow Him, we are also drawn to our own desires—prestige, success, human respect, pleasure, and power. We must pray for the strength to become deaf to those voices and more attentive to the voice calling us to the narrow road to life. Every moment of our lives requires a choice of thoughts, words, and actions. Because we often resist choosing Him, we must ask the Lord to be with us at every moment and in every place.

*Lent is a time to quiet the heart and consciously choose Christ over the distractions of worldly prestige and desire.*