The Father's Love - by Holly

In the first reading on Ash Wednesday we hear from the prophet Joel: "Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart."  Our lives are about relationship with God.  Lent is a time set aside to renew that relationship with our Father, especially our trust in Him.

In these forty days, we are united with Christ who showed His trust in the Father, as He was "led out by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted."  We also see His trusting surrender to the Father, during His passion, when He says, "Not my will but yours be done" and "Into your hands, I commend my spirit."

As I enter into this Lenten Season, I am bearing in mind that, as the Catechism states, "God's initiative of love always comes first; our own first step is always a response."  Whenever I perform my selected penance, I am in fact, receiving my Father's love, poured out for me, and am then, in my action, responding to His great love.  I am excited to spend the next forty days of this special season deepening my relationship with my Father, and I hope that everyone partaking in this blessed season responds to the invitation to a closer union with the One Who Loved us first.