Earlier this week, Lent started for Catholics and many Christians with Ash Wednesday.

You may have heard the distributor of ashes recite, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This reminds us of our mortality, and the temporary nature of our time here.

During a virtual retreat with the Sisters of Charity Federation, also this past Wednesday, I heard an alternative version to this proclamation in small group sharing.

It went something like this…“Remember you are loved, and to love you shall return.”

Not only does this altered version speak to our limited time on earth, it expresses the truth of who God is and who we are to God.

In talking with my 7-year old these past few days, she recited her class lessons on Lent, sharing the traditional focus on prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. When I asked her why we do these things, she didn’t have a clear answer.

I found myself talking about love, and how Lent is a time to reconnect and grow deeper in love with our God. This season didn’t feel as daunting or somber; rather, it offered an invitation to return home.

Richard Rohr writes, “Only when we rest in God can we find the safety, the spaciousness, and the scary freedom to be who we are, all that we are, more than we are, and less than we are.” 

Just imagine if we could find time this Lent to rest in God- not an easy task, especially for parents.

Yet, if we can be reminded of who we are, as well as all those we hold closest (and yes, even those we don’t), we may find ourselves seeing, living, and loving as our God does.