Lent begins with a solemn call for us to "turn around" – to turn from those things that separate us living the life God desires for us. It is a turning from those things that separate us from living as children of God and letting those things die, so that something new may grow- something that God longs for us and desires to give to us. During Lent we reflect on the meaning of our baptism into Christ's death and his resurrection. Ash Wednesday is that solemn call for us to begin our Lenten journey. The sign of ashes reminds us of our human mortality and our frailty. What seems like an ending is really an invitation to make each day a new beginning- to be washed in God's love, mercy, and forgiveness. With the cross on our forehead, we long for the spiritual renewal that flows from the springtime Easter feast to come. | 
