Ash Wednesday and the Call to Begin Again

"Let us begin again, brothers, for up until now, we have done little or nothing." These words, attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, capture the essence of Lent. Though he had already given his life to God, Saint Francis never stopped seeking renewal. He understood that conversion is not a one-time event but a lifelong journey—a continual turning back to God with greater love, humility, and devotion.

Today, on Ash Wednesday, the Church invites us to that same renewal. Marked with ashes, we are reminded of our mortality, of our need for God’s mercy, and of the opportunity before us: to begin again.

Lent: A Season of Grace and Renewal

Lent is not a time of mere obligation but of grace. These forty days mirror Christ’s own time in the desert, where He fasted, prayed, and resisted temptation. It is a season of spiritual refinement, calling us to a deeper relationship with God through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

• Prayer draws us into communion with God, reminding us that true renewal begins in His presence. Whether through Scripture, the Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, or quiet reflection, Lent is an opportunity to listen more intently to the Lord.
• Fasting is not simply about abstaining from food; it is about detachment from anything that distances us from God. In denying ourselves, we make room for His grace.
• Almsgiving teaches us to see beyond ourselves, to recognize Christ in the poor, the suffering, and the forgotten. Lent is not just about personal renewal but about restoring justice and charity in the world.

Each of these disciplines is meant to lead us to true conversion—a transformation of heart that aligns our will more closely with Christ’s.

The Freedom of the Desert

Pope Francis, in his Lenten message for 2024, reminds us that this journey is one of freedom. Just as God led the Israelites out of Egypt, so too does He call us out of the slavery of sin, of selfishness, of anything that holds us back from fully living the Gospel. But this freedom is not given instantly; it must be chosen and cultivated.

The desert, both in Scripture and in our own spiritual lives, is a place of struggle, but it is also where we encounter God most profoundly. There, stripped of distractions, we come face to face with our dependence on Him. It is in the desert that Christ was tested, and it is in the desert that we, too, must confront our own temptations and attachments. Yet, as Pope Francis reminds us, Lent is not an "abstract journey." It is meant to be lived concretely—in our choices, in our sacrifices, in our love for others.

Marked for Renewal

When the priest traces the cross of ashes on our foreheads, he speaks the solemn words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." It is a humbling reminder of our mortality, but it is also a call to hope. For while we are dust, we are also beloved by God. We are not left in our weakness but invited into renewal, into the mercy of Christ, into the promise of Easter.

So today, as we receive the ashes, let us not do so passively. Let this be the moment we choose to begin again. Let us enter into these forty days with hearts open to the grace of conversion, with a willingness to be led by God into the freedom that only He can give.

Lent is not about perfection; it is about progress. It is about trust. It is about taking the next step, however small, toward holiness.

Let us begin again.