Ash Wednesday February 18, 2026

      The word of God today is filled with urgency and deep love. In our first reading, the Prophet Joel gives us a beautiful invitation from God: "Even now, return to me with your whole heart." Notice that God does not say, "Return to me when you are perfect" or "Return to me when you have figured everything out." He says, "Even now." No matter where you have been or what you have done, the door to the Father’s house is wide open.

      The ashes we wear are made from the burnt palms of last year’s Passion Sunday. They remind us that the things of this world are passing away. When the priest says, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return," it is not meant to be scary. It is a reality check. It reminds us that our life is a gift from God, and one day, we will return to Him.

      This realization should lead us to what St. Paul talks about in the second reading: Reconciliation. Paul pleads with us, "We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." This is the goal of Lent—to fix our relationship with the Creator who loves us.

      In the Gospel, Jesus mentions three specific practices: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. Prayer: This is our conversation with God. This Lent, try to find a quiet "inner room" as Jesus suggests. Spend five minutes more each day just listening to Him. Fasting: We fast not to punish ourselves, but to make room. When we feel the hunger of the stomach, it reminds us of the hunger of the soul. It helps us realize that "man does not live by bread alone." Almsgiving: This is love in action. It is looking at our neighbor and seeing Christ.        When we give, we break the power of greed and selfishness in our lives.

      Jesus gives us one very important warning: Do not do these things to be seen by others. If we pray or fast just to look "holy" to our friends, we have already received our reward. God looks at the heart. Lent is not a performance; it is a transformation. It is not about looking somber or miserable; it is about internal change.

      As we move forward to receive these ashes, let us ask for the grace of a "broken and contrite heart." Let this Lent be a time where we stop running away and start walking toward the light of Christ.

      The journey to Easter starts today. It is a journey from dust to glory, from sin to forgiveness, and from death to life.

First Sunday in Lent, February 22, 2026

       A few days ago, on Ash Wednesday, we received ashes on our foreheads. We heard the words: "Repent, and believe in the Gospel." Today, on this First Sunday of Lent, the Church takes us from the altar where we received those ashes and leads us directly into the desert with Jesus.

      In our first reading from the book of Genesis, we see the very beginning. God created us out of love. He breathed life into man and placed him in a beautiful garden. Then, the tempter arrived. Notice how the serpent works. He does not start with a big lie. He starts by making Adam and Eve doubt God’s goodness. He whispers, "Did God really say...?" He tries to make them believe that God is holding something back from them, that God is a rival rather than a loving Father. The tragedy of the first sin was not just eating a fruit; it was the moment they decided they did not need God. They wanted to be their own gods. When they gave in, their eyes were opened, but not to wisdom—they were opened to shame. They realized they were naked and they hid. This is what sin does: it isolates us, makes us feel ashamed, and makes us hide from the One who loves us most.

      Fast forward thousands of years to the Gospel of Matthew. We find Jesus in the desert. He is hungry, tired, and alone. This is where the "New Adam" meets the same tempter. The devil uses the same old tricks. He attacks Jesus when He is physically weak. He tries to get Jesus to use His power for Himself—to turn stones into bread. He tries to get Him to test God’s love by jumping from the temple. Finally, he offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus will just bow down and worship him. But where Adam failed in a beautiful garden, Jesus triumphs in a barren desert. Jesus does not argue with the devil; He answers with the Word of God. Each time, He points back to the Father. He shows us that we do not live by bread alone, but by the will of God.

      St. Paul, in our second reading from Romans, explains why this matters for us today. He says that through one man Adam, sin entered the world, but through one man Jesus, grace has overflowed. Lent is our "desert time." For forty days, we are invited to follow Jesus into the quiet. We practice prayer, fasting, and almsgiving not because we want to be "perfect" on our own, but because we want to clear away the "stones" in our lives that keep us from God.

      We all face temptations. Maybe your "stone" is the temptation to be angry or resentful. Maybe it is the temptation to find happiness in things like money, social media, or the approval of others rather than in God. The devil still whispers, "Did God really say...?" He still tries to convince us that following our own selfish desires will make us happy.

      Trust the Word when you feel tempted to be dishonest, unkind, or selfish, remember a simple verse of Scripture. Just saying "Lord, help me" or "The Lord is my shepherd" can change the atmosphere of your heart. Embrace the Fast: When we give something up—like a favorite food or a habit—we are telling our bodies, "You are not my god. Jesus is." It reminds us that our deepest hunger is for God. Do not hide: If you have fallen, do not stay in the bushes like Adam and Eve. Come to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God is not looking for someone to punish; He is looking for His children to come home.

      My dear people, Lent is not a season of sadness; it is a season of training. We are training our hearts to love God more than we are. As we continue this Mass, let us ask the Holy Spirit for the strength to say "No" to the shortcuts of the world and "Yes" to the beautiful, narrow path that leads to life.