Reading: 2.12 to 18 Gl / Ps 50 / 2 Cor 5.20 to 6.2 / Mt 6,1-6.16-18
right foot
Today we Christians begin Lent. We introduce a special time, to allow the Holy Spirit received in baptism the steps to convert to the gospel of our lives. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of forty days, a 'right time' (2 Cor 6:2) to return to God and then ourselves. The Scriptures, wisely chosen to start this important time, help us to start off right, so that the commitment of Lent can be a real 'battle against the spirit of evil "and a" real conversion "(cf. Collect) of our hearts to compassion" (Joel 2:18) that the "Father" (Mt 6.1) has for every man.
The movement of our conversion is difficult, first, something that God wants and intends to live there. The voice of Joel, the prophet of the post-exile, reminds us once: "Thus says the Lord: 'Return to me with all your heart'" (Joel 2:12). At the beginning of Lent is not our initiative, but the indestructible God wants to meet again. The conversion, according to the Gospel, there is an intense effort that we are called to do to remove the bad from our lives. Indeed, many refinements of our humanity are even counterproductive, when we make them to be "praised" (Mt 6:2) and 'seen' (6.5) from the others in a better light. This is a bad habit that the Master Jesus in the gospel openly regrets: "Be careful not to practice your righteousness before men to be admired by them, otherwise there is no reward for you with our Father in heaven" ( 6.1). The conversion is developed instead from one of our willingness to be "reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20), and then start to weave the thread of our precious humanity in his company.
However, our hearts are crooked and malicious needs to make gestures to truly open up to the light of God, and thus "not to neglect" (6.1) the transforming power of his goodness. This is why the scriptures remind us that during Lent we need to do something, we need to pray "and weeping and mourning" (Joel 2:12) and use the weapons through the centuries have taught the soul many disciples: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Just in doing these simple gestures, our hearts can rediscover the joy of giving to others, the absolute importance of listening to the word of God and the urgency to move on a bit 'by their appetites to fly higher.
Lent begins the extent that we are willing to recognize our sins, if we allow an arrow with sincerity that we are not going to sign, a heart that is half empty, a mysterious chaos which sometimes goes wrong. Otherwise no effect echo the words of "who did not know sin, God made him sin for our sake, for in him we might become the righteousness of God "(2 Corinthians 5:21). We sin, it is true. But God became sin for us right back, capable of life. We dust, it is true. But dust settled from that patient of God, the holy place where he lives his unconditional forgiveness. Lent is a favorable time if we allow this God's will to achieve our weakness, that is, if we allow ourselves to love, building the path of reconciliation with ourselves and with others.
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