Jesus calls us to die to ourselves so we may bear much fruit. As a grain of wheat must fall and die to produce abundance, so too must we follow Christ’s path of self-sacrifice and faithful obedience.

Let us rejoice in the presence of Christ, the light that shines in our darkness and never leaves us. The truth leads us to this light that is always in our midst.

We often find ourselves easily distracted, jumping from one task to another. This homily reflects on how today's scriptures speak to that very mindset of distraction in our spiritual lives.

We change and grow ever so slightly each day. In fact, we continue to change all our lifes, just a little bit each day. There are moments of sudden growth or spurts. For example when we are kids during the summer and it was noticeable that we grew up a lot. Maybe only our grandparents noticed the change. It is also true for ourselves as we grow older in ever so subtle and unperceivable ways. There are moments of radical growth for adults too; maybe a trauma or sickness for us where we feel like we have aged a significant number of months in a matter of days.

Lent is described as a classic and joy-filled time when we are invited to engage in repentance through metanoia—changing our hearts and minds. By allowing space for ourselves, others, and God, the season becomes one of true joy.

This homily reminds us that the Church gives us Lent as a 40-day opportunity to renew our hearts by returning to God, turning away from sin, and embracing spiritual renewal.