This document discusses the meaning of Lent and how it calls Christians to reflect on their humanity, sinfulness, and need for healing and new life. It encourages moving beyond superficial understandings and symbols to encounter the deeper realities of faith, including sin, redemption, and the hope of resurrection. The author hopes readers will have a blessed and life-giving Lenten season of renewal.

1. By. Fr. David Foxen, MSC
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart  USA Province
305 S. Lake Street, PO Box 270  Aurora, IL 60507 (630) 892-2371  info@misacor-usa.org

2. The season of Lent has
many shades of
meaning.

3. Traditionally it is a time when we deal with
our humanity and sinfulness,

4. not as a sin of
hopeless weakness
but as a call to
healing and new life.

5. Lent calls us to recall our own baptism as we
walk with those preparing for baptism at the
Easter Vigil.

6. Whatever our
emphasis, Lent is
not a time for
triviality but for
coming into
contact with the
deeper themes
of our Faith in
Jesus Christ as
Savior and
Redeemer.

7. For some Lent seems
to retain only the
memory of childhood
when giving up candy
or some hours of TV
made it more a time
of self discipline than
an encounter with the
realities of sin and
new life.

8. Most of our
childhood
memories, which had
a definite role to play
at the time, have
given way to deeper
understandings in
our adult lives.

9. While at times it is good and wholesome to
return to the memories of a time when we
were just discovering the complex world
that surrounded us, we need to recognize
the depth that Lent offers us today.

10. The ashes are a
symbol, not the
reality.

11. If they remain only at
the level of
symbol, and one too
often without
substance and
meaning, we are
depriving ourselves of
a genuine spiritual
experience that calls us
to new
understanding, growth,
and hope.

12. On Ash
Wednesday, whe
n we catch a
glimpse of
ourselves in the
mirror or of
family and friends
with their
smudge,

13. will we see a symbol
calling us back to
our human reality
and even
mortality?

14. Will we see a
symbol of Christ’s
voice, calling us to
set aside our
pessimism and
hopeless feelings
to let the words
of the Good News
break through?

15. Will we see a
symbol of
renewed life in
the Risen Lord
which transforms
us as individuals
and us as
Church?

16. I hope so and wish all of you a blessed
and life-giving Lenten season.

17. We hope you enjoyed this reflection,
excerpted from the Living Faith article
Ashes of a Special Wednesday.
If you would like to read other articles by
Fr. David Foxen, MSC, please visit the Living
Faith page on our website. Comments
welcome! www.faith.misacor-usa.org
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart  USA Province
305 S. Lake Street, PO Box 270  Aurora, IL 60507 (630) 892-2371  info@misacor-usa.org

18. Photo Credits
• Slide 1: Photo from www.cruzblanca.org/hermanoleon
• Slide 2: Photo from www.cruzblanca.org/hermanoleon
• Slide 3: Photo by Jennifer Balaska via Wikimedia Commons
• Slide 4: Photo © almir1968, via www.istockphoto.com
• Slide 5: Photo by George Hodan via PublicDomainPictures.net
• Slide 6: Photo from www.cruzblanca.org/hermanoleon
• Slide 7: Photo by Petr Kratochvil via PublicDomainPictures.net
• Slide 8: Photo from www.cruzblanca.org/hermanoleon
• Slide 9: Photo © arlindo71, via www.istockphoto.com
• Slide 10: Photo © bbeltman, via www.istockphoto.com
• Slide 11: Photo by Petr Kratochvil via PublicDomainPictures.net
Photos are for illustration only.

19. Photo Credits
• Slide 12: Photo © EnginKorkmaz via www.istockphoto.com
• Slide 13: Photo © shakzu via www.istockphoto.com
• Slide 14: Photo © AlexaSava via istockphoto.com
• Slide 15: Photo © PeterJSeager via www.istockphoto.com
• Slide 16: Photo by Anna Langova via PublicDomainPictures.net
• Slides 18-19: Background by Petr Kratochvil, via
www.PublicDomainPictures.net
Please note that any photos depicting people are of
models.