Repent and Believe in the Gospel
Today may be one of the busiest days of the year for churches, and it may be the one day of the year that many people even attend a church service. Today begins our Lenten Fast in preparation for Easter. Today we receive ashes on our foreheads as a reminder that we are sinners and are called to repentance. The ashes we receive today are not just a way to show off that you went to church. These ashes say to the world, “I am a sinner, and I am in need of salvation!” They are an outward symbol of our need for Christ’s mercy in our live. They should also be an outward sign of our willingness to realign our heart to God. We hear the Prophet Joel in the first reading exhorting t...