Ash Wednesday on 18 February is the first day of Lent—and a wonderful opportunity to make yourself 100% available to God! How available to God are you? Half of you? A third of you? No matter what your answer, Ash Wednesday is the perfect time to decide that you will spend this Lent increasing that percentage.

On Ash Wednesday, you can get your forehead blessed with ashes at our Masses at 9:30 am and 7:00 pm. These ashes are a reminder that we need to repent. Repentance is a powerful invitation. When John the Baptist first appeared in the desert of Judea, this was his message: “Repent, prepare the way of the Lord” (Matthew 3:2). Later, when Jesus began his ministry, he led with this message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

But what does it mean for us to repent, here and now, more than two thousand years later? It means the same as it did to the people walking around the dusty pathways in their sandals, trying to inch closer to Jesus as he passed through their town or village. Repent means “to turn back to God”.

We all find ourselves needing to turn back to God many times a day, in ways small and large. It is not a matter of guilt and it is not a shameful thing. It is simply that we are a better version of ourselves when we return to his side. See you at Mass on Ash Wednesday!