Today, February 18, 2026, is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Lent is a season set aside by the Church to prepare for Easter, much as Advent is a season set aside by the Church to prepare for Christmas. But, while Advent focuses on the duel purpose of penance and expectation of the coming Messiah, Lent focuses more on penance alone. We do penance, obviously, for our sins, that we might be properlty prepared to celebrate the great mystery of Easter. But we also do penance as a way of suffering with Christ, uniting our sufferings with His and, so, participate in His redemptive mission, a mission that will be fulfilled on Easter morning, and again at the General, or Final, Judgment.

Traditionally, Lent encourages three practices: pray, fasting, and almsgiving. We pray more, to more center our lives on God and His Son, Jesus Christ. We fast to recall Christ’s sufferings for us, but also as a way of recognizing the pain of sin and the consequence of sin, which is death. Finally, we give alms to remind ourselves that it’s not all about us, that these lives we live are not just about our getting ahead, or our doing well, or even our just getting by. We also live our lives for others, especially for those in need.

The following is an excerpt from the Letter of Pope St. Clement I to the Corinthians as found in the Office of Readings for today, Ash Wednesday. Writing in the decade of the 90s, not even a hundred years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, St. Clement encourages us to keep our focus on Jesus. He is why we live our lives the way we do. To live for Jesus to offer one’s life for Him.

From the Letter of Pope St. Clement I to the Corinthians:

Let us fix our attention on the blood of Christ and recognize how precious it is to God his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all.

If we review the various ages of history, we will see that in every generation the Lord has offered the opportunity of repentance to any who were willing to turn to him. When Noah preached God’s mesage of repentance, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed, but when they repented, their prayers gained God’s forgiveness for their sins, and they were saved, even though they were not of God’s people.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God’s grace have spoken of repentance; indeed, the Master of the whole univere himself spoke of repentance with an oath: As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the death of the sinner but his repentance. He added this evidence of his goodness: House of Israel, repent of your wickedness. Tell the sons of my people : If their sins should reach from earth to heaven, if they are brighter than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, you need only turn to me with your whole heart and say, “Father,” and I will listen to you as to a holy people.

In other words, God wanted all his beloved ones to have the opportunity to repent and he confirmed this desire by his own almighty will. This is why we should obey his sovereign and glorious will and prayerfully entreat his mercy and kindness. We should be suppliant before him and turn to his compassion, rejecting the empty works and quarreling and jealousy which only lead to death.

Brothers, we should be humble in mind, putting aside all arrogance, pride and foolish anger. Rather, we should act in accordance with the Scriptures, as the Holy Spirit says: The wise man must not glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches. Rather, let him who glories glory in the Lord by seeking him and doing what is right and just. Recall especially what the Lord Jesus said when he taught gentleness and forebearance. Be merciful, he said, so that you may have mercy shown to you. Forgive, so that you may be forgiven. As you treat others, so you will be treated. As you give, so you will receive. As you judge, so you will be judged . As you are kind to others, so you will be treated kindly. The measure of your giving will be the measure of your receiving.

Let these commandments and precepts strengthn us to live in humble obedience to his sacred words. As Scripture asks: Whom shall I look upon with favor except the humble, peaceful man who trembles at my words?

Sharing then in the heritage of so many vast and glorious achievements, let us hasten toward the goal of peace, set before us from the beginning. Let us keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Father and Creator of the whole universe, and hold fast to his splendid and transcendent gifts of peace and all his blessings.

Source: The Liturgy of the Hours, vol II, pp 51-53, St. Clement’s Letter to the Corinthians 7:4-8:3; 8:5-9:1; 13:1-4; 19:2.

Prayers for a truly transformative Lenten season.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.