Repent and believe in the Gospel (March 12, 2014)

 "Repent and believe in the Gospel," were the words spoken by the Eucharistic minister, who then placed a cross of ashes on my forehead. I listened and lowered my head. I smiled. Why? I realized I was being given an opportunity to return to the Eternal Father, and if my steps had strayed, to get back on the path with Jesus. The good thing about not being perfect is that there's always room for improvement. As the visiting priest said this Sunday, we are like plants that need pruning so they can grow and bear fruit again. Until recently, or almost always, I viewed Lent with a bit of fear, because it invites me to look at myself in the mirror, to see that image in a clean mirror, to clean the mirror and rid myself of my ego, to acknowledge my failings, to practice humility. And although it can be painful if we see that we have strayed from the path of Jesus, Jesus himself comes to meet us and reminds us that he loves us, that if we accept the grace of his cross, those small or large flaws are erased before his loving heart. Of course, we must prune, rid ourselves of all that burden that distances us from the Father, let the Holy Spirit act, and consciously live Lent with Jesus. If, due to lack of time or health problems, we cannot offer a sacrifice of fasting to accompany Jesus, we can always make small sacrifices in our lives, such as practicing patience, smiling at someone who is sad, doing that chore or task we don't like and offering it all to God. Give love, joy, support, and if we are the ones who are sad, offer that sadness to the Lord. This Lenten season is also ideal for drawing closer to God through prayer, praying the rosary, for example. And to add our personal prayers, to establish communication with God, and above all, to build a relationship with our Heavenly Father, with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit. I once read that we can even argue with Him, show Him our reasons, our feelings, but above all, listen, let Him speak to our hearts, and if we feel like crying, cry, for He will take care of drying our tears. And trust, always trust that despite our sins, His mercy and forgiveness are always waiting for our repentance. The passion of our Lord Jesus Christ is precisely that: a demonstration of the love He passionately suffered for us, so that our sins would not hold us captive in guilt and we might become truly free through faith in His loving sacrifice.