I. Scripture Reading — Joel 2:12–13 (RSV-CE)
“Yet even now,” says the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
and repents of evil.
II. Meditation — The Door That Was Never Locked
There is an old story of a son who left home after a bitter argument with his father. Pride kept him away. Days turned into months. Months into years. He rehearsed in his mind all the reasons he was justified. Yet deep down, he longed for home.
One evening, worn down by loneliness, he decided to return. As he approached the house, he expected the door to be locked. Instead, he found the porch light on. The door was slightly open.
His father had never locked it.
Lent begins with this invitation: “Return to me with all your heart.” God is not standing with crossed arms. He is not waiting to lecture us. He is waiting with the porch light on.
Through the prophet Joel, God speaks to people who had drifted away. Their worship had become routine. Their hearts had grown distracted. And yet, God does not say, “Prove yourself first.” He says, “Return.”
Notice something profound: He says, “Rend your hearts and not your garments.” In ancient times, people tore their clothing as a sign of repentance. But God wants more than outward signs. He wants the heart.
Lent is not about appearances. It is about interior conversion.
III. Reflection — What Does It Mean to Return?
To return means:
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To recognize we have wandered.
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To admit we cannot save ourselves.
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To trust in God’s mercy more than our failures.
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To come back completely — not halfway.
The passage reminds us who God is:
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Gracious
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Merciful
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Slow to anger
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Abounding in steadfast love
Sometimes we stay away from God because we imagine Him as disappointed or tired of us. But Scripture tells us otherwise. His mercy is not fragile. His love is not exhausted.
Lent is not about earning God’s love.
It is about returning to the love that has always been there.
Today is not about guilt.
It is about grace.
The Lord says, “Yet even now…”
Not when you are perfect.
Not when you feel holy.
Not when you fix everything.
Even now.
IV. Prayer — A Prayer of Returning
Merciful Father,
Here I am. I come before You at the beginning of this Lenten journey. I come with my distractions, my sins, my half-hearted efforts, my spiritual laziness, and my wounds. I come with the parts of me that are faithful and the parts that resist You.
You say, “Return to Me.” So today, I choose to return.
I confess that sometimes I wander. I let pride guide me instead of humility. I let comfort matter more than holiness. I let noise fill the space where Your voice should be.
Forgive me, Lord.
Rend my heart. Tear away what is not from You — resentment, selfishness, fear, hidden sin, and indifference. Remove the masks I wear. Cleanse the places I avoid. Heal the places I hide.
Teach me what true repentance means. Not just words. Not just emotion. But transformation.
Help me fast from whatever keeps me distant.
Help me weep over what wounds Your heart.
Help me mourn the sin that separates me from You.
But above all, help me trust in Your mercy.
You are gracious.
You are merciful.
You are slow to anger.
You are rich in steadfast love.
Let this Lent not be another season that passes unchanged. Let it be the beginning of a deeper surrender. Call me back every time I drift. Draw me closer each day.
I return to You, Lord — not because I am worthy, but because You are good.
Amen.
V. Action for Today
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Spend 15 minutes in a quiet examination of conscience.
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Write down one specific area where you need to “return” to God.
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Make a concrete Lenten commitment (prayer, fasting, or charity).
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If possible, schedule a time for the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week.
Let today mark the true beginning of your Lenten conversion.
