Today we start a period of reflection counting the days toward Easter. May we be challenged to look deeply into our lives and make the changes to draw Him closer.
In the words of St. Paul, may we "not receive the grace of God in vain." Let us be open to the love, forgiveness, and mercy of God's Spirit, and again, "in Christ's name: be reconciled to God!" Give us these directions in our lives so that in 40 days, we will rejoice in the Greater Glory of God. Amen.
This year we are being asked by the Pope to use the abstinence and fasting of Ash Wednesday for peace in Ukraine. "I invite everyone to make March 2, Ash Wednesday, a day of prayer and of fasting for peace in Ukraine. [Make it] a day to be close to the suffering of the people of Ukraine, a day to feel that we are all brothers and sisters and to implore God for the end of the war."