Lent is a time for self-awareness and honest reflection

Archbishop Gregory Aymond delivered the following homily at the Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Louis Cathedral on Feb. 22.

There are many stories about the use of truth serum and lie detector tests in order to get people to tell the truth. During Lent, we are called to be honest with ourselves and tell the truth about ourselves to our God.

We don’t need a truth serum or a lie detector test. All we need, first of all, is to be self-aware, to be inspired by the wisdom of God to know ourselves better and to be able to tell the truth about our goodness as well as our sins and our weakness.

We don’t need a lie detector test. All we really need is the mercy, the compassion and the love of God that will give us the comfort to be able to know ourselves better, both our weakness and our sin.

During these 40 days, Jesus will call you and me, by invitation, saying, “Let’s talk about you.” And, in so doing, he will remind us very quickly of the goodness that exists in our lives, of our gifts, of the goodness in our hearts and of the ways in which we have said yes to be his followers. He wants us to see our goodness, but he also wants to talk about something in our lives that needs to be changed, that needs a conversion of heart.

My sisters and brothers, during Lent, we look into a mirror, and we do it with Jesus at our side. We ask him to let us know what it is that he wants us to change in our lives in Lent of 2023.

May I suggest that you and I focus on one way – maybe two ways at the most – in which he wants us to change. I certainly can think of many more ways in my life that he may be asking me to change. But, after all, we only have six weeks. We only have 40 days. So, let’s be realistic about that and ask the Lord God, “What is it specifically, very specifically, that you want me to change in my heart?” He will give us the courage to identify actions and words that need to be changed.

We don’t need truth serum. We simply need the mercy, the enlightenment and the compassion of our God. Whatever actions or words he’s asking us to change are really the symptoms. Words and actions are a symptom that there’s something in our hearts that allows us to use those words. There’s something in our hearts that allows us to perform actions or not perform actions of charity. What is it? What attitude is it that doesn’t help me to grow spiritually?

Once you and I are able to identify what that attitude is and what those words and actions are, then God will help us to choose a penance. That’s what this time of Lent is all about for each one of us. God will remind us that it’s important to choose a penance that will lead us to a change of heart. Our penance should be directly related to that which God is asking us to change. We don’t want to just choose anything to do for Lent, any kind of sacrifice. The sacrifice should have something to do with what it is in our hearts that God is asking us to repent.

As we know, our penance can be prayer, acts of charity, doing something or giving up something. Maybe it’s dealing with someone who brings out the very worst in us, avoiding gossip or spending less time on social media and more time with Jesus. Whatever our penance is, that is between ourselves and God. No one else needs to know your penance during this time of Lent.

My sisters and brothers, you and I ask Jesus to touch the wounds of our life with healing and to forgive us. We experience the healing and the forgiveness of God in a particular way in the sacrament of reconciliation as we go before the Lord through the priest and confess what we believe God is asking us to let go of.

In a few moments, we will place ashes on our forehead. Those ashes come from the palms of last Palm Sunday, which were burned. Why do we wear ashes on our heads? So we can say to ourselves and to others, “Yes, I know I am a sinner, but I am a sinner who believes in God's mercy for me. And I want to have a change of heart.”

For this Lenten season, a truth serum or a lie detector test is not needed. All we need to hear is the merciful Lord Jesus Christ, who says to you and to me in this liturgy, “I come to touch your wounds, the woundedness of sin, and I come to forgive you. I offer you a new heart and a new spirit.” What do we say? “I'm sorry, and I accept the gift of a new heart and a new spirit.”

My sisters and brothers, contrary to what some people believe, Lent is not a negative time. It is a time of new life and change. And, so, we journey through this Lenten time asking for the change of heart that only God can give with our cooperation.