Openness - To live a full Christian life, Christ sought me out and called me by my name, just as he did with the Apostles. When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Lord, give me a caring, merciful, charitable heart like yours. Thank you for helping me to confirm that I can only achieve this if I practice justice and charity, beginning in my own family.

May my life be, Lord, a constant embracing the others with my gestures, looks, words and feelings of tenderness and love! May their defects encourage me to overcome them in myself. May I learn to keep silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind;… yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.

May your tenderness, Lord, incline me to transform my heart to open it to the others! Send your Spirit upon me, Lord, to be compassionate and merciful, tender, and loving, as you are merciful to me!

Each day during this Lenten Season, I will be offering you a challenge, which will help you prepare for the joyful day of Easter.

Today’s challenge: Complete your reception of the ashes last Wednesday, by preparing yourself well and make a good sacramental confession.