It is a true “slavery” of the eyes and the mind (cf.

This austere sign, which leads us to reflect on the transience of our human condition, is like a medicine that has a bitter taste and yet is effective for curing the illness of appearances, a spiritual illness that enslaves us and makes us dependent on the admiration of others.

The rite of receiving ashesbon our heads is meant to protect us from the error of putting the reward received from others ahead of the reward we receive from the Father. Beware, then, and do not let yourself be dazzled by appearances, pursuing cheap rewards that disappoint as soon as you touch them”. As if to say: “You have a chance to enjoy an infinite reward, an incomparable reward. This is a risk we all face, and so Jesus tells us to “beware”. They lose sight of the Father and their brothers and sisters. Those who seek worldly rewards never find peace or contribute to peace. Restlessness and discontent are always around the corner for those who look to a worldliness that attracts but then disappoints. It is like a mirage that, once we get there, proves illusory it leaves us unfulfilled. The second is ephemeral, a spotlight we seek whenever the admiration of others and worldly success become the most important thing for us, our greatest gratification. The first is eternal, the true and ultimate reward, the purpose of our lives. The Lord, however, speaks of two kinds of reward to which our lives can tend: a reward from the Father and, on the other hand, a reward from others.

Yet within our hearts, in fact, there is a thirst, a desire for a reward, which attracts and motivates us. Yet today Jesus keeps returning to that word, reward, which can appear to be the reason for our actions. Usually, on Ash Wednesday, we think more of the commitment demanded by the journey of faith, rather than the prize that is its goal. It may be surprising, but in today’s Gospel, the word we hear most frequently is reward (cf. Today, as we embark on the Lenten season, the Lord says to us: “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven” ( Mt 6:1).

Cardinal Parolin read the homily Pope Francis had prepared for the occasion

History of the imposition of ashes