Today, as we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. Rejoice! We have to understand that what comes in the midst of rejoicing is doubting. It is not the enemy or the opposite, and it is not present when we rejoice. We have to rejoice in the midst of doubting, because that is the reality of our lives.

The Greek word that we translate as "repent" is actually the word “metanoia.” It does not simply mean to feel sorry for what we have done. It does not mean just to confess our sins and then go back to living the same way. It means something far more radical. It means a complete turnaround. A fundamental change of direction. A transformation of the mind and heart. It is a whole, all-in concept, not just a slight change of direction, an all-in.

There is a condition spreading through our society that psychologists call "hurry sickness." It is the chronic feeling that there is never enough time. We rush from one task to the next, one meeting to the next meal, one obligation to another commitment. Our calendars overflow. Our minds race. And our to-do lists regenerate faster than we can check items off.

Father reflects on how Lent is a time of constant spiritual growth and transformation through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. He calls the faithful to deeper commitment during this sacred season.