Thursday after Ash Wednesday
March 3, 2022
Daily Reading from the USCCB: Luke 9:22-25
The Gospel readings during these first days of Lent are concerned with conversion. In this context “conversion” means “turning”–turning away from sinfulness and turning toward the Lord. Conversion–turning is how we carry out the almsgiving, prayer, and fasting that constitute the Church’s program for us for the season of Lent.
In today’s Gospel Jesus tells his disciples that conversion involves giving up our personal agenda and buying into his agenda. He tells us to take up his cross and follow him. Giving ourselves away to his plans is how we buy into the life that he wants to share with us.
Hanging on to our own plans will bring us only self-destruction. We are called to be converted to him, not to ourselves.
