Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/271048
2 I CATHOLIC LIFE MARCH 5, 2014 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ARCHBISHOP'S COLUMN MOST REV. SAMUEL J. AQUILA Besides Christmas and Easter, parishes usually expe- rience the biggest crowds on Ash Wednesday. People are inherently sacramental—we are made to physically experi- ence life, including the spiritual realm—so that is certainly part of the filled pews. But there is an even deeper reality to Ash Wednesday that I want to bring to your attention. When we receive ashes we are participating in an ancient practice that was first associated with entry into the Order of Penitents. It is this penitential aspect that I want to high- light as we begin Lent, especially because it is so frequently misunderstood. The Order of Penitents came into existence in the early Church for those who had committed a serious sin after their baptism. The penitent would confess their sin, receive a penance from the bishop or his delegate and then be enrolled in the order. When they entered, penitents would receive ashes on their head, be given a prominent location to occupy in the church, and put on clothes that marked their state of penance. The penances could last a few years so that a true, deep conversion of the heart could occur. At the beginning of the 11th century, the Anglo-Saxon homilist Abbot Aelfric offers one of the first implicit refer- ences of the use of ashes by all believers, not just official penitents. It is written "in the books both in the Old Law and in the New that the men who repented of their sins covered them- selves with ashes and clothed their bodies with sackcloth. Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast." We can all benefit from focusing on Ash Wednesday as a time to undergo deeper conversion through penance so that we are able to welcome the Risen Lord at Easter with fuller joy. When we receive ashes, we are engaging in a form of pen- ance that visibly humbles us. We acknowledge that we are sinners, unfaithful to the Lord and the commandments he has given us. We hear the words, "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel," or "Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return," which remind us of our mortality and our need for conversion. But in my experience most people don't know much about the practice of penance, except in connection with confession. The very first thing I want to point out is that we are not Pelagians. We do not believe that we earn our salvation by doing a sufficient amount of good deeds. That is impossi- ble, since every sin we commit is an offense against God, who is infinitely good, and therefore the degree of our offense is beyond our own finite means of restitution. That is why it was necessary for Jesus to reconcile us with the Father. We cannot do it on our own. Jesus alone is the savior of the world. So why do acts of penance? The true aim of any act of penance is to move our heart toward conversion, to turn away our heart from sin and embrace the love God the Father offers us in Jesus Christ. Citing Matthew's Gospel (6:1-6, 16-18), the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes in paragraph 1430 that without conversion "penances remain sterile and false; however, in- terior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance." Most Catholics are familiar with the concept of giving up something for Lent, but what is not well understood is that these sacrifices, these acts of penance, have value because they teach virtue, not because the things sacrificed are bad. Giving up sweets, coffee, alcohol or listening to music is good because it helps us grow in our ability to turn away from something we desire. Fasting is also important be- cause it helps us focus the eyes of our heart on Jesus, just as he focused the eyes of his heart on the Father in the 40 days he spent fasting. Our heart, made for God, longs for deeper intimacy with the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Fasting Lent beyond the ashes DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-722-4687 OR CIRCULATION@ARCHDEN.ORG Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 Denver Catholic Register (USPS 557-020) is published weekly except the last week of December and the first week of January, and in June, July and August when it goes bi-weekly. The Register is printed by Signature Offset in Denver. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. Subscriptions: $35 a year in Colorado; $42 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $42 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic Register, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or e-mail circulation@archden.org. Editorial: 303-715-3215 or editor@archden.org Advertising: 303-715-3253 or dcrads@archden.org Circulation: 303-715-3211 or circulation@archden.org Online: www.DenverCatholicRegister.org General Manager Karna Swanson Editor Roxanne King Business Manager Michael O'Neill PHOTO BY DEACON MICKEY WEBRE THE DEACONS of the Denver Archdiocese held a convocation with Archbishop Samuel Aquila on Feb. 22. The day started with Mass in Christ the King Chapel at the John Paul II Center in south Denver presided by the archbishop, after which the deacons met in Bonfils Hall for a talk by the prelate. Other speakers for the day included St. John Vianney Theological Seminary professor Sean Innerst who spoke on "Prayer, the Scripture and the Catechism," Deacon-Dr. John Volk spoke on end-of-life decisions and Larry Smith, CEO of Catholic Charities, spoke on diaconal involvement in the many services Catholic Charities offers. Archbishop Aquila ordains three seminarians to the diaconate BY CINDY BROVSKY Three Archdiocese of Denver seminarians, ordained as dea- cons on March 1 as part of their journey to the priesthood, said society's view of celibacy as a burden is far from the truth. "Celibacy is a gift," said Dea- con Gregory Lesher, 29. "It is not the cost I pay to be a priest. It means saving the most intimate part of my heart for God alone and turning to him primarily for all of my needs." Fellow seminarian Deacon Joseph McLagan, 28, calls celi- bacy an important foundation of the priesthood. "Many people I encounter have no clue as to what celibacy is or its gifts," said Deacon Mc- Lagan, a 2004 graduate of High- lands Ranch High School. "So, I have reconciled this by not standing on the sands of this culture, which will waver and move in the storms that may come, but on a firm foundation rooted from the Lord through the many gifts he has given me in seminary." Deacon Franklin Treminio, a 33-year-old native of Nicaragua, is ready to give his whole life to God and is looking forward to being a deacon and eventually a priest. "The way I've reconciled priestly celibacy is to live my life different from that of a married man so that I can fully give my- self to Christ and, consequently, to the service of others," Deacon Treminio said. "Contradiction from our society will always be there against celibacy, but we Catholics must be ready and have a firm attitude to defend it against the new currents of society that disregard priestly celibacy." Archbishop Samuel Aquila ordained the men to the diacon- ate during an ordination Mass March 1, at the Cathedral Basil- ica of the Immaculate Concep- tion. Mass concelebrants includ- ed Father Scott Traynor, rector of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, and Father Tobias Ro- driguez-Lasa, rector of Redemp- toris Mater Archdiocesan Mis- sionary Seminary. The seminarians will serve as deacons for a year while continu- ing to study for the priesthood. They will assist parish priests with baptisms, weddings, wakes and funerals, preach and distrib- ute holy Communion. The arch- bishop also encouraged them to work with the poor and margin- alized in society. The ordination rite included the men accepting the vow of celibacy, which Archbishop Aq- uila said forms a special friend- ship and intimacy with Jesus. "You have a free heart to serve wherever you are called; a free heart to be like Christ," Archbish- op Aquila said. The seminarians may face temptation and fear during their continued journey to the priest- hood, the archbishop said. He urged them to turn to Christ and not let fear overtake them. "Remember the words of John: 'Perfect love casts out all fear,'" Archbishop Aquila said. The men study together at St. John Vianney Theological Sem- inary in south Denver where Deacons Lesher and McLagan are seminarians. Deacon Trem- inio attends Redemptoris Ma- ter Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary on the same campus, which also emphasizes mission- ary work under the direction of Archbishop Aquila. During the ordination, the readings and songs were in En- glish and Spanish to recognize 'A free heart to be like Christ' PHOTO BY DANIEL PETTY/DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER THREE SEMINARIANS of the Denver Archdiocese bow their heads at a March 1 Mass during which the three were ordained to the diaconate as a step in their priesthood formation. See Aquila, Page 11