Ash Wednesday 2026 - Return to Me With Your Whole Heart

Tonight, ashes are placed on our foreheads with ancient words:
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Or: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
Ashes tell the truth. They remind us that we are fragile. But they also remind us that we are claimed by God

In the first reading, through the prophet Joel, the Lord says:
“Return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning...Rend your hearts, not your garments” (Jl 2:12-13).
Notice: God does not say, improve your image, rather He says, return to me.
God wants interior change, not spiritual performance, not doing the bare minimum.

In the second reading St. Paul pleads:
“We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God...Now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 5:20-6:2).
Note the urgency, it is not tomorrow or when life slows down...Now.

In the Gospel, Jesus warns us:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them” (Mt 6:1).
The three pillars of Lent are given: Almsgiving, Prayer, Fasting with warning not to perform these acts like the 'hypocrites' do but perform them in secret. And Jesus repeats the same phrase for each act:
“Your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”
Brothers and sisters be assured that the Father sees: the struggle you hide, the addiction you fight, the resentment you try to forgive, the prayer that feels dry. Don't try to hide it, offer it to him. Fasting in secret purifies intention.
It reminds us that God alone is enough.

In his message for Lent 2026 (click here for full letter) Pope Leo XIV exhorts us:  "Every path towards conversion begins by allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and welcoming it with a docile spirit. There is a relationship between the word, our acceptance of it and the transformation it brings about. For this reason, the Lenten journey is a welcome opportunity to heed the voice of the Lord and renew our commitment to following Christ, accompanying him on the road to Jerusalem, where the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection will be fulfilled." 

When it comes to fasting Pope Leo really challenges us (at least me) with this: "In this regard, I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace."

Giving up chocolate was my preferred choice, but disarming my tongue...

So tomorrow begins with ashes. Ashes symbolize mortality, but they are placed in the sign of the Cross: Dust marked by redemption.
We are fragile—but we are loved.
We are sinners—but we are pursued.
We are dust—but dust destined for glory.

“Return to me with your whole heart.”
Lent is not about spiritual heroics, It is about relationship.
If our fasting leads us to deeper prayer, to concrete charity, to honest repentance, to renewed love, then Easter will not just be a liturgical celebration, it will be resurrection within us.
Tonight, let us begin again, not halfway, not superficially, but with our whole heart.
Peace,

​Deacon Michel