Ash Wednesday - Outward Signs of Inward Faith

The use of ashes and fasting is a fine outward training. These are bodily expressions of an inward faith. We do this in other ways as well. We embrace those we love; our faces express what we are saying. So also here, we give bodily expression to our penitence and awareness of the bodily suffering our Lord endured for us. Yet there is a severe warning against those who would have the outward expression only, and no inward faith. These are the hypocrites, who do such  things to be seen of men. They have their reward. But we express on the contrary our faith that is expectant of the resurrection of the body. Not our spirits only but our bodies have been redeemed. And so Jesus gives us to receive bodily His Body and Blood, the elements of his bodily sacrifice. Sermon for Ash  Wednesday. The video is here.