Repent and Believe in the Gospel

Today hundreds upon hundreds of Christians will begin their Lenten journey, and will have ash smudged on their foreheads.  Now of course the hope is that those who receive ashes will be serious about their Christian lifestyle.  The external sign should indicate that an internal transformation is taking place.  Coming to church today means that we are promising to God, publicly that we intend to really move away from Sin and lived a graced life.

The three main components of this holy season are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  There really needs to be a sacrifice here.  I recall when I taught high school the young'ins would ask whether eating lobster wold qualify as having fish, rather than meat.  Their point was well taken.  The notion of "giving up" has a lot to do with dying to oneself.  The cross needs to remain our focus throughout the Lenten season.  How well do I live the paschal mystery?  So it is the understanding that simply having ashes will not make us any more holy.

Sometimes I will hear a parents frustrated cry, over a child who has made a wayward decision, "We sent them to catholic school and everything."  But by 'everything' does one mean Mass on Sunday's. family meals and prayer together, and understanding of faithfulness to God and Stewardship.  Conversion and Discipleship has to be an interior transformation.

The reading from Joel is awesome today.  It speaks of the angst that we who have sinned posses, and also of the desire for God that needs to be part of our life.  The words from Mark speak loudly to us today, "Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand.".