This Gospel today gives me so much hope. Just last Sunday we heard “be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect,” and even though Jesus is talking about a different kind of perfection, that can still sound kind of daunting.

Today we hear and see Jesus reaching out to the very imperfect. This is where I often see myself, because I know how limited and flawed I am. I see my sickness and my sin, even if I hide it well from others. But today Jesus tells us that He has come specifically for me; the sick and sinful. So often we feel like we need to be perfect to pray or to be close to God. We try to fix all of our problems on our own so we can seem holy and healthy in his eyes. Jesus tells us that is like waiting until you are healthy to see a doctor.

It sounds kind of ridiculous when we look at it that way.

Yes, we go to the doctor when we are healthy for check-ups and whatnot, but really, the time we need to see a doctor most is when something is wrong, when we are sick. We would never try and wait until we heal on our own before we go in, just to be presentable to a doctor. This is true too for our Lord! He is the Divine Physician and He can heal any ailment in our lives. But He is not pushy. He waits for us to invite Him to help.

A doctor cannot help us if we do not see them or tell them what is wrong. If I broke my leg, but I only told my doctor about my cold, I would never get my leg fixed. We need to come to God and be honest with him. We cannot hide our sin from Him because just like a doctor cannot heal an ailment we don’t tell Him about, God won’t fix the sin in our lives until we give it to Him. He has given us free will, such an incredible gift, but it means we have to be vulnerable, because He won’t force us to tell Him.

So this Lent, don’t wait until you are healthy to see the doctor. Don’t wait until you are sinless to receive mercy and grace from the forgiver of sin. God is the remedy for sin; don’t fool yourself thinking you can overcome it on your own. God doesn’t mind your brokenness, He came to fix it. Be humble. Be vulnerable. Be healed this Lent. Let him perfect and heal you instead of trying to do it all yourself.

What are the areas of your life where there is brokenness into which you want to invite Jesus right now? 

How have you found yourself – right now or in the past – hiding something from God when all he wants to do is heal that thing? 

This Lent, what are the things you're bringing to the Lord in a particular way?

"You are the doctor."

"You can heal all wounds."

"Heal me, oh Lord."

Either go to confession today or make a plan for when you'll go – at least once – during this Lent. Confession is the perfect place for the Lord's healing to take place; go there!

​“Today I have set before you
life and prosperity, death and doom.
If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God.” 

These are the words of an Old Testament Moses. But they still ring true to us today. 

Yet, how often do we remember them? How often in our search for happiness or in an answering the existential question of what the Lord has planned for our life do we remember his commandments? Sometimes, finding the plan God has for our life is really as simple as following his teachings and commandments. That will lead us to where He wants us to be. 

In the Bible the Lord makes clear some things are permissible, and some that are not. Though situations that the commandments touch can be nuanced, at their base foundation they are quite simple. 

If you forgot the 10 commandments, here is a brief reminder: 

1.    I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
2.    You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3.    Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
4.    Honor your father and your mother.
5.    You shall not kill.
6.    You shall not commit adultery.
7.    You shall not steal.
8.    You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9.    You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10.    You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Once the analogy of the Catholic Church as a ship was described to me. It was explained like this: The Catholic Church is a ship heading toward heaven. It knows the islands to navigate, the shallow waters to avoid and how to weather storms. If you stay upon the ship and follow the rules on board, the ship will take you to heaven. 

That’s not to say that someone not on the ship can’t reach heaven – they most certainly can, and we believe many do. 

But how much easier will it be to reach our final destination if we stay on the ship instead of swimming alone the choppy waves behind it? 

The same can be true of the commandments. They are guideposts to lead us to success, in heaven and also on earth. 

The ten commandments lead us toward love. When has stealing or committing adultery been beneficial for our earthly lives? 

Never. 

The Lord doesn’t give us more or less earthly blessings depending if we follow Him or not. In fact, some of the holiest people – the saints – endured much suffering on earth, even when following the Lord’s commandments closely.

We have to believe that that blessings they were promised were fulfilled in heaven, where they received a hundredfold or more in eternity. 

But, following the commandments will still bless our time on earth. And, like staying on the ship, will lead us to prosperity and life as the Lord intended. 

Which commandment(s) do you find most difficult to follow? Which commandments do you find easiest to obey?

How do you think God is leading you toward love and happiness through His commandments?

​How can you grow closer to God through His commandments today?

"Lead me."

"Open my heart."

​"Teach me to love."

At the end of the day, pray with an examination of conscience. You can download one from the USCCB website. Use this tool to see where you obeyed God and where you slipped up. Note when following God's commands led to greater peace and love, and where straying from them led to discord. Overall, let it lead you closer to the Father's merciful and loving embrace. 

Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).

What is the point of Ash Wednesday to you? Is it about going to Mass to get ashes on your forehead and then posting a picture of yourself on social media with a #ashtag caption? Is it about agonizing to other people over what you just gave up for the next 40 days? Is it about planning out your one regular-sized meal and two smaller meals to make it through the day without getting hangry? Or is it about something else?

Did you hear the trumpet sound?

We’ve proclaimed a fast, called an assembly, gathered the people… it’s a sort of “drop everything you’re doing and focus on what is most important right now” type of situation.

“Even now, says the Lord.” Even now. After everything this year has been, or hasn’t been. After everything this life has been, or hasn’t been. Even now. Drop everything you’re doing- now is the perfect time to start anew and return to God.

Ash Wednesday can be a good slap in the face of reality. We are reminded that we are dust and are encouraged to take inventory of our shortcomings and repent. We don’t just waltz up to the altar to get dirt thrown on our heads; we solemnly approach the altar to receive ash in the shape of a cross on our foreheads. Even in the state of our sinfulness and brokenness, God claims us as His own.

The people in this passage understood that - in and of themselves - they were not entitled to God’s mercy and blessings. God doesn’t have to be so forgiving and merciful to us, but He chooses to be because He loves us and wants us to choose to be with Him.

Something that I both struggle with and that I love about Lent is that I don’t need to come into Ash Wednesday with my list of goals and plans on how I’m going to be a better person by Easter. Quite frankly, that technique only seems to set me up for failure/falling short. Rather, all we need to do is return to God with the entirety of our hearts, regardless of what state they’re in. Offer to God your desires and goals for this Lent, and then let them go and just focus on living it. Fast, pray, and give alms.

These questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today.

​What is the point of today? What meaning does it have in my life?

​What are my desires and goals for this Lent?

Am I striving for perfection or am I striving to turn back to God and make Him my priority this Lent?

In this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord.

​"God claims me."

"Even now."

"Lord, have mercy."

In light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today?

​Don't strive for perfection this season. Give your hopes and desires and, most importantly, your heart over to the Lord.