Gospel: February 18, 2026
February 18, 2026 (Wednesday)
Ash Wednesday
Begin Lenten preparation for the Easter Triduum.
Psalter: Week 4 (Violet)
Day of fast (ages 18-59)
and abstinence from meat (age 14 and up)
Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 & 17
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
1st Reading: Joel 2:12-18
Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Be careful not to make a show of your good deeds before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be noticed in the synagogues and in the streets, in order to be praised by people. I assure you, they have their reward.
If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift remains really secret. Your Father, who sees what is kept secret, will reward you.
When you pray, do not be like those who want to be noticed. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners, in order to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have their reward. When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is with you in secret; and your Father who sees what is kept secret will reward you.
When you fast, do not put on a miserable face, as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face so that people can see they are fasting. I tell you this: they have been paid in full already. When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people but for your Father who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, who sees what is kept secret, will reward you.
Reflection:
We are dust, and to dust we shall return.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. During the 40 days of Lent, we observe fasting, prayer, and almsgiving to deepen our relationship with God through personal piety. True piety is practiced with the right intention before God, without ostentation. In today’s world of social media, it is easy to seek validation through public displays of piety. Perhaps this invites us to go beyond. What the Church requires of us is to fast from pretentiousness. As our foreheads are marked with ash, we are reminded that ‘we are dust, and to dust we shall return, ‘ inviting us to humility and genuine repentance. The prophet Joel tells us to ‘rend our heart, not our garment,’ urging us to avoid superficiality and hypocrisy. The call to fast in secret is an invitation to journey inward, to the inner space where God silently awaits us.
