One of the first voices we hear on Ash Wednesday is that of the prophet Joel, who says: “Yet even now — oracle of the LORD — / return to me with your whole heart, / with fasting, weeping, and mourning. / Rend your hearts, not your garments, / and return to the LORD, your God” (Jl 2:12-13).

There is something about these prophetic words that always grabs my attention. It is not just the call to return to the Lord from our distractions and sinful ways during this holy time. No, it is the focus on the “heart,” our whole heart, which suggests the realities of depth, complete commitment and relationship. There is nothing shallow, fragmented or superficial to Lent. Lent is about an intentional, dedicated, ongoing conversion of heart that leads to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

The prophet’s words take on even greater meaning when placed in the context of Dilexit Nos (“He Loved Us”), Pope Francis’ encyclical on “the human and divine love of the heart of Jesus Christ.” If you have not done so already, I encourage you to read this rich document, which promises to enhance one’s spiritual life as well as enliven one’s priestly life and ministry.

Essentially, the pope is sending a message to the entire world echoing the voice of the prophet Joel. He is calling us to leave the fleeting frenzy of life by pausing to return to the core of our being — the human heart. Pope Francis is encouraging us to recover a deeper appreciation of the heart by looking beyond the “foliage” that can pose a barrier to knowing ourselves and others more fully. The process of removing this foliage is the everyday work of discipleship that seeks to turn away from sin and live a life of grace.

As homilists who seek to assist disciples in this effort, we need to not only model this work, but also, according to Pope Francis, be more intentional about making the “heart” part of our homiletic and daily vocabulary. Pope Francis writes: “In this ‘liquid’ world of ours, we need to start speaking once more about the heart and thinking about this place where every person, of every class and condition, creates a synthesis, where they encounter the radical source of their strengths, convictions, passions and decisions. Yet, we find ourselves immersed in societies of serial consumers who live from day to day, dominated by the hectic pace and bombarded by technology, lacking in the patience needed to engage in the processes that an interior life by its very nature requires” (No. 9). The result is that there is no room for the heart.

A Time to Reflect More on the Heart

Pope Francis warns against any devaluing of the heart or, worse yet, any sense of “heartlessness.” He states, “In this age of artificial intelligence, we cannot forget that poetry and love are necessary to save our humanity” (No. 20).

The holy season of Lent is not only an opportune time for us to return to the Lord with our whole heart. It is also a time for us to reflect more on the heart, especially the heart of Christ. Essentially, Lent is a time to return with our whole heart to the heart of Christ.

According to Pope Francis, the heart matters because when it is joined to the heart of Christ, the world can be transformed. He writes: “It is only by starting from the heart that our communities will succeed in uniting and reconciling different minds and wills, so that the Spirit can guide us in unity as brothers and sisters. Reconciliation and peace are also born of the heart. The heart of Christ is ‘ecstasy,’ openness, gift and encounter. In that heart, we learn to relate to one another in wholesome and happy ways, and to build up in this world God’s kingdom of love and justice. Our hearts, united with the heart of Christ, are capable of working this social miracle” (No. 28).

As we prepare our homilies during this time, let us not be afraid to speak about the heart, especially the heart of Jesus, which, using the image of the Holy Door, can become a gateway of insight and holiness for us and those whom we serve. “There, in that heart, we truly come at last to know ourselves and learn how to love” (No. 30).

BISHOP DAVID J. BONNAR, editor of The Priest, is bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown.