Joel 2:12-18 / 2 Cor 5:20 - 6:2 / Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
From the gospels, we know that Jesus spent 40 days in the desert praying and fasting before He began His public ministry. During those 40 days He was also tempted by Satan but He overcame the temptations.
Today we begin the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, a period of 40 days, so as to unite ourselves with Jesus in prayer and fasting and penance.
It is a "favourable time" as the 2nd reading puts it, a time where the voice of God is proclaimed in the Church with these words: Be reconciled to God.
As we reflect on the times when we have given in to temptation and ended up in sinfulness we know that we need forgiveness and healing in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
And we also know that we must do penance and reparation for our sins against God and neighbour.
Yet God is not asking us to do extra ordinary penance and reparation like saying our prayers aloud on the streets and telling everyone we are only having one meal a day of bread and water or even intending to eat ashes.
As the Lord God spoke in the 1st reading: Come back to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning. Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn.
Yes, the Lord our God is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger and rich in graciousness and ready to relent.
But we must break our hearts in repentance and penance and prayer. It will be through the cracks of our broken hearts that the grace and forgiveness of God can enter.