Ash Wednesday — The First Day of Lent

We went to Mass this morning for Ash Wednesday — and it was school Mass.

As I watched the children file in — the kindergarteners being gently directed by the 7th and 8th graders — and settle into the pews, memories flooded back. I saw my son in both roles. The little one being mentored. The older one becoming the mentor.

Different school. Similar culture. Same faith.

A wave of gratitude washed over me — for our faith and for the steady rhythm of the liturgical seasons. There is something deeply comforting about the regularity of it all. Weekly rituals. Seasonal rituals. The familiar feel of ashes traced in the sign of the cross. The quiet beginning of Lent.

It felt familiar in the best way — and yet, somehow, different.

Lent is a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. A time of penance. A time to return.

In his homily, the priest reminded us how easy it is to turn Lent into another to-do list — checking off spiritual obligations as if we’re completing a task.

But that isn’t what God is after.

He isn’t looking for a perfectly executed plan.He’s inviting us into a closer walk with Him.

He wants more of us.

More of our heart.

More of our time.

More of our trust.

The difference this year isn’t in the call — it’s in me.

I’m more at peace. More aware. More ready to say, “Yes, Lord. I’m Yours.”

As we begin this Lenten journey together, I invite you to reflect:

What would it look like for you to move beyond a Lenten checklist…and into a deeper surrender?

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