Today is Ash Wednesday and is the beginning of Lent. Lent is the 40-day period of intensified prayer, fasting, and the reading of God's Word so as to prepare ourselves for Easter.

Today, as we begin this penitential season, we hear these words from the Lord, "¡Kcome back to Me ¡K" - Whoever we are ¡K wherever we are ¡K whatever it is ¡K today, we can "return to the Lord".

In life, sometimes we may feel hopeless and the path of return does not seem to be there. What we may have, may be - shut doors, brokenness and silence. No welcome, no invitation, no second chance. Estranged, separated, out in the cold, there seemes to be no way to return.

But today, we can return to God "with all our heart", we can return to God with "fasting, weeping, mourning". We can return because God has spoken, "Come back to Me". We can return because Christ Jesus, is the sinless One, our sins became His sins; His goodness, our goodness.

As we receive the imposition of the ashes today, let us receive it as an experiential symbol of our repentance and reconciliation. Let us receive it as our "return' to God. Let us let God create for us "a pure heart" and put within us "a steadfast spirit" this Lent.