What if the dissonance in this calendrical coincidence can be harmonized into a deeper melody?

As disciples of Jesus, our righteousness cannot be performed before others, because our righteousness was already performed by Jesus.

Ash Wednesday's purpose is not to motivate our resolve to redouble our efforts to do better.

Ash Wednesday, is meant to remind us we have a death problem. All living things made from the soil shall return to it.

Can we fully experience the joy of the Festival of the Resurrection if we do not seriously stare boldly into the sad state of our own faithlessness to Him who promises to be faithful even when we are not?

The original sin of Genesis 3 was not gutter-style-sin, but glory-style-sin. It was more of an upward grasp than a downward fall. - Nathan Hoff

Ash Wednesday confronts us with our true nature, our mortality, and marks us with the only escape from it: the cross of Christ.

John Pless offers thoughts on preaching for your midweek Lent sermons.

All this disciplined living is to be done in freedom.

This reflection was adapted from Sexy: The Quest for Erotic Virtue in Perplexing Times (1517 Publishing, 2017).

Gone, abolished, put away with, undone, and destroyed are any and all notions that my repentance unlocks, sets free, or earns God’s forgiveness.

Every day for the baptized is a good day to die."