Return to the Heart

February 18, 2026 – Ash Wednesday

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021826.cfm)

Many of us today could have become busy fixing our outward life. For many young people, we fix our social media posts. We fix our appearance before going out. We fix our schedules, our plans, and our budgets. This means, there is a desire in us that we want everything to look okay in the outside. Yet sometimes, in the middle of all these, we forget to check what is happening inside our hearts.

And so on this Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Season of Lent, we ask, “How is your heart?” To discern on this, let us explore our readings and their invitations.

In the first reading, the prophet Joel spoke in a very strong but loving way, “Return to me with your whole heart.” Not just with rituals, not just with external actions, but with the heart. The people during Joel’s time were doing religious practices, but their lives were far from God. So the Lord tells them, “Rend your hearts, not your garments.” In other words, do not just show repentance outside. Let your heart truly turn back to God.

This is also the message of the Gospel today. Jesus warns us not to practice our faith just to be seen by others. Jesus mentions three important practices: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These are the pillars of Lent. But Jesus says, do them quietly, sincerely, and from the heart. Because Lent is not about impressing people. Lent is about coming closer to God.

For us Filipino Catholics, this message is very real. We are a religious people. We attend Mass, we join processions, we observe traditions. These are beautiful expressions of faith. But Lent invites us to go deeper. Not only devotion outside, but conversion inside.

So, first, Prayer. Prayer is not only about asking God for what we need. Prayer is relationship. It is being aware that God is present in our daily life even at home, at work, in our struggles, and in our worries about the future.

Sometimes we think prayer should have many words. But the Gospel reminds us, “go to your room, close the door, and be with your Father.” This means that even a few minutes of silence each day by just sitting quietly and telling God, “Lord, I am here” can already change the heart. When we become aware of God, we also become aware of ourselves including our weaknesses, our fears, our need for His mercy. Thus, prayer humbles us and brings us closer to the Lord.

Second, Fasting and Abstinence. Many think fasting is only about not eating meat or skipping meals. However, fasting is deeper than that because it is about freedom. So, we ask, “What are the habits, attitudes, or distractions that keep me away from God and from others?”

Maybe it is too much time on the phone. Maybe it is anger that we hold in our heart. Maybe it is gossip, pride, or laziness. Lent asks us now, “What do I need to let go so that my heart becomes lighter and freer?”

This means that when we fast from something that controls us, we make space for God. We also become more patient, more understanding, more available to our family and to others.

Third, Almsgiving. If prayer makes us aware of God, and fasting makes us free, then almsgiving makes us life-giving. Almsgiving is not only about giving coins to the poor. It is about giving ourselves.

In our situation today, many people carry hidden burdens. We have financial problems, family struggles, loneliness, sickness, anxiety. Almsgiving can be our time, our presence, our listening ear, our encouragement. Sometimes what people need most is not money, but someone who will understand and care.

This Lent, we can ask: What can I give from my heart? My time? My attention? My forgiveness? My patience?

When we give ourselves, we begin to see the real faces of our brothers and sisters. And in them, we encounter God.

Now, the ashes we receive today remind us that life is fragile and temporary. But more than that, they remind us of hope. Because our God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, rich in kindness.”

And so, in this Lent, let us keep it simple but sincere:
Pray more so that we become aware of God. Fast with purpose so that we will be free. Give generously so that we will be a gift.

As we live these from the heart, this season will not just change our practices. It will change our lives. And hopefully, as we grow closer to God, we also become closer, kinder, and more available to others. Hinaut pa.