Lent is a sacred invitation — a time to pause and look gently, honestly, at the parts of myself that have grown cold and closed off. Every time I judge someone, even in the quiet of my mind , something within me hardens. Every time I withhold forgiveness, or choose to dwell on what’s lacking instead of seeing the beauty and blessings before me, my heart shrinks just a little more. Every time I chase comfort or distraction instead of showing up with courage and love, I trade a piece of my soul’s fullness for something shallow and fleeting.
Over time, this slow dying adds up. The heart God gave me , capable of such joy, such compassion, such wonder, becomes small and withered. I find myself restless, frustrated, disconnected, wondering why I feel numb in moments that should bring me life. But this…this is the death that Jesus came to rescue me from. Not just at the end of my life, but right now. Every day, He invites me to resurrection. He shows me how to soften, to open, to begin again.
He teaches me that my heart can become wide and strong enough to hold both joy and sorrow without fear. That I can be fully alive, even in the midst of uncertainty or grief. That love, His love, is bigger than all the messes I make, and it never stops reaching for me.
The old temptations — pride, greed, anger, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth — still whisper lies that they’ll make me feel secure or satisfied. But they leave me empty. Pride makes me self-reliant instead of God-reliant. Greed convinces me there’s never enough. Anger exhausts me. Envy keeps me from gratitude. Lust and gluttony drain my strength, and sloth tempts me to give up before I even try.
Jesus on the cross is not just a symbol of sacrifice . It’s a mirror of the daily deaths we’re all called to face. The little deaths of ego and control that make room for something new and real and lasting to rise within us.
This Lent, my prayer is simple: to die to the habits and patterns that close off my heart, and to rise again, as many times as it takes, into a heart that can breathe deeply, love freely, and live fully in God’s presence. The Kingdom of Heaven isn’t far off. It’s here, now, in the way we forgive, the way we trust, and the way we let ourselves be loved.
May this season be one of many small deaths and beautiful resurrections.
The Radical Catholic 
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