Time of Transformation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, share the traditional Word that invites us to embrace our opportunity to join our community and millions of believers in the Divine promise of renewal that comes from prayer, almsgiving, and fasting in the upcoming weeks.

Prayer, Almsgiving, and Fasting

The Reading from the Book of Joel implores a Return to the Lord as the Lord Relents.

* [2:14] Blessing: the rain that makes possible the grapes and grain (v. 19) that workers will process into Temple offerings.

* [2:16] Elderly…infants…bridegroom…bride: Jerusalem is in such great danger that even those normally excused from fasting or working are called upon to participate in activities to ward off the imminent catastrophe.

* [2:17] Between the porch and the altar: the priests stood in the open space between the outdoor altar for burnt offerings and the Temple building.

* [2:18] Jealous: the Hebrew word describes the passionate empathetic bond the Lord has with Israel. The people’s wholehearted participation in Joel’s call for fasting and prayer sparks the Lord’s longing to protect and love his people Israel. This desire moves him to withhold punishment and to send the blessing of v. 14 instead. (Joel, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 51 prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought.

* [Psalm 51] A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21. The two parts interlock by repetition of “blot out” in the first verse of each section (Ps 51:3, 11), of “wash (away)” just after the first verse of each section (Ps 51:4) and just before the last verse (Ps 51:9) of the first section, and of “heart,” “God,” and “spirit” in Ps 51:12, 19. The first part (Ps 51:3–10) asks deliverance from sin, not just a past act but its emotional, physical, and social consequences. The second part (Ps 51:11–19) seeks something more profound than wiping the slate clean: nearness to God, living by the spirit of God (Ps 51:12–13), like the relation between God and people described in Jer 31:33–34. Nearness to God brings joy and the authority to teach sinners (Ps 51:15–16). Such proclamation is better than offering sacrifice (Ps 51:17–19). The last two verses express the hope that God’s good will toward those who are cleansed and contrite will prompt him to look favorably on the acts of worship offered in the Jerusalem Temple (Ps 51:19 [20–21]). (Joel, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians proclaims the Ministry of Reconciliation and shares The Experience of the Ministry.

* [5:18–21] Paul attempts to explain the meaning of God’s action by a variety of different categories; his attention keeps moving rapidly back and forth from God’s act to his own ministry as well. Who has reconciled us to himself: i.e., he has brought all into oneness. Not counting their trespasses: the reconciliation is described as an act of justification (cf. “righteousness,” 2 Cor 5:21); this contrasts with the covenant that condemned (2 Cor 3:8). The ministry of reconciliation: Paul’s role in the wider picture is described: entrusted with the message of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:19), he is Christ’s ambassador, through whom God appeals (2 Cor 5:20a). In v. 20b Paul acts in the capacity just described.

* [5:21] This is a statement of God’s purpose, expressed paradoxically in terms of sharing and exchange of attributes. As Christ became our righteousness (1 Cor 1:30), we become God’s righteousness (cf. 2 Cor 5:14–15). (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [6:1] Not to receive…in vain: i.e., conform to the gift of justification and new creation. The context indicates how this can be done concretely: become God’s righteousness (2 Cor 5:21), not live for oneself (2 Cor 5:15) be reconciled with Paul (2 Cor 6:11–13; 7:2–3).

* [6:2] In an acceptable time: Paul cites the Septuagint text of Is 49:8; the Hebrew reads “in a time of favor”; it is parallel to “on the day of salvation.” Now: God is bestowing favor and salvation at this very moment, as Paul is addressing his letter to them. (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is Teaching About Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting

* [6:1–18] The sermon continues with a warning against doing good in order to be seen and gives three examples, almsgiving (Mt 6:2–4), prayer (Mt 6:5–15), and fasting (Mt 6:16–18). In each, the conduct of the hypocrites (Mt 6:2) is contrasted with that demanded of the disciples. The sayings about reward found here and elsewhere (Mt 5:12, 46; 10:41–42) show that this is a genuine element of Christian moral exhortation. Possibly to underline the difference between the Christian idea of reward and that of the hypocrites, the evangelist uses two different Greek verbs to express the rewarding of the disciples and that of the hypocrites; in the latter case it is the verb apechō, a commercial term for giving a receipt for what has been paid in full (Mt 6:2, 5, 16).

* [6:2] The hypocrites: the scribes and Pharisees, see Mt 23:13, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29. The designation reflects an attitude resulting not only from the controversies at the time of Jesus’ ministry but from the opposition between Pharisaic Judaism and the church of Matthew. They have received their reward: they desire praise and have received what they were looking for. (Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Candice Tucci, OSF, comments that there is an urgency that the prophet Joel presents. He had a passion to bring people back into a right relationship with God. Blow the trumpet, proclaim a fast, call an assembly; gather the people, notify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, etc. His words are for us. There is an urgency in our time for there is much to be restored in our world that is torn apart with wars, displacement of peoples, hunger, quest for power, tyrants, (some who think they are gods), violence, and lack of compassion.

Pope Francis wrote in Laudato Si’, We have to dare to speak of the integrity of human life, of the need to promote and unify all the great values. Once we lose our humility, and become enthralled with the possibility of limitless mastery over everything, we inevitably end up harming society and the environment. #224

There appears a steady decline in humanity as Joel observed of his time, 400 years before Christ. Relationships on many levels, whether they be personal, familial, or global, breaches are to be mended, and life held sacred. It is a time for reconciliation. Restore humanity to its sacred dignity. We can do this with the grace and mercy of God. We can do this because we are the expression of God’s love. Be merciful, God, for we have sinned. –Psalm 51 (Tucci, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Lent - the epitome of our whole life,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 AD.

"Christians must always live in this way, without any wish to come down from their cross - otherwise they will sink beneath the world's mire. But if we have to do so all our lives, we must make an even greater effort during the days of Lent. It is not a simple matter of living through forty days. Lent is the epitome of our whole life." (excerpt from Sermon 205, 1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Joel 2:12-18 exhorts us to follow God’s call from today’s first reading and turn to the Lord . . . even now (Joel 2:12).

Even now. You don’t have to get everything exactly right or deny yourself for forty days before he answers you. Just “rend your heart” before the Lord (Joel 2:13). Reach out your arms to him. Cry out to him, even wordlessly. If all you can muster is a heartfelt “Father! Forgive!” he’ll come running to you and gather you into his embrace.

If we only knew how much our Father loves us, we would never hesitate to come to him. So turn to the Lord this Lent and ask him to change your heart. Even now.

“Here I am, Lord! I need your mercy today!” (Meditation on Joel 2:12-18, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the texts of Ash Wednesday. Joel calls a fast as he recognizes the people deserve the punishment that is to come upon them even as he implores God to turn back their punishment. In the Second Letter to the Corinthians, Paul declares now is the appropriate time to use the opportunity, today, to address the disorder in our lives. In the Gospel of Matthew, from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus responds to the concern of the people that  after the temple is destroyed what would replace the sacrifice of the animal in the temple to forgive sins through the blood of the animal. The rabbis advise alms, prayer, and fasting. Friar Jude comments on how we parse Jesus' advice to not publicly display our almsgiving, fasting, and prayer and His description of our good deeds as a lamp that shines for the public to see. When we witness to faith to give an example without seeking praise and acknowledgement, we are in accord with Jesus' way.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces CAC guest faculty member Belden Lane who recalls a recent experience of finding healing in the desert. Lane went to the desert, hoping to connect with John and in some way relieve the suffering he imagined John was experiencing at having his life cut short.

As I sat there, my mind wandered back to the hospital room on the night of John’s death. The end had come at three o’clock in the morning when he finally stopped breathing. I’d wanted to stay with him for the rest of the night. I hated the thought of strangers putting my son on a tray and wheeling him away into the morgue alone. I knew I should have stayed there until dawn, but … we were all exhausted. We went home.

And then it struck me.… On the ridge I could still do this. I might be over a year late, but I could still be faithful, waiting alongside John’s body, not turning away from his death. So that’s what I did, staying awake through the rest of the night, keeping vigil with John. Within an hour or so, I noticed … a full moon was rising over the ridge behind me, casting a soft slate gray light on the mesa’s rim, going down the mesa as the moon rose behind me. It was cold and death-like but beautiful, like the paleness of my son’s body drained of life as I was able to sit with him. It was also for me, at the time, the body of Christ, as it were. John, Jesus had come to assure me with [the mystic] Julian of Norwich, was fine. He was more than fine…. (Rohr, 2025)

We implore the Spirit to open our hearts and minds to the discipline of Lent that is a time to embrace giving to share our support, prayer to connect us to the wisdom and consolation of God, and separation from the habits and distractions that are obstacles to our renewal in contemplation and action.

References

Joel, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/joel/2?12 

Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6?1 

Meditation on Joel 2:12-18. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/02/16/1500523/ 

Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51?3 

Rohr, R. (2025, March 13). Healing in the Desert. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/healing-in-the-desert/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). When You Pray, Fast, and Give Alms. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Tucci, C. (2026, February 18). Daily Reflection February 18, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-february-18-2026 

2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/5?20 

2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/6 

Hearing and Doing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be people who demonstrate the words we proclaim through the actions in which we are involved.

From Word to Action

The Reading from the Prophet Joel presents The Lord’s Case Against the Nations.

* [4:2] Valley of Jehoshaphat: one of the symbolic names of the place of punishment for Judah’s enemies; the other is “Valley of Decision” (v. 14). The name Jehoshaphat means “the Lord judges.” If the popular identification of this place as the Kidron Valley is accurate, Joel may imagine the Lord seated above the valley on Mount Zion directing his troops in the destruction of nations in the valley below.

* [4:4–8] This prose material may be a later addition to the book. It illustrates a common biblical theme (cf. Ps 7:16; 9:16; 35:8; 37:14–15; 57:7), having one’s evil deed (selling Judahites into slavery) turned into one’s own punishment (being sold into slavery by the Judahites).

* [4:8] Sabeans: traders from the southwestern tip of the Arabian peninsula, present-day Yemen (cf. 1 Kgs 10:1–2; Ps 72:10; Jer 6:20).

* [4:10] The Lord directs the troops to forge military weapons out of the agricultural tools necessary for life during peacetime. In Is 2:4 and Mi 4:3, both in contexts presuming the defeat of Israel’s enemies, this imagery is reversed.

* [4:13] Their crimes are numerous: the nations are ripe for punishment. Joel uses the vocabulary of the autumn grape harvest to describe the assault of the Lord’s army against these nations. In Is 63:1–6, grape harvest imagery also controls the description of the Lord’s return from Edom with blood-spattered clothing after having trod his enemies into the ground as if they were grapes (cf. Jer 25:30).

* [4:17] Then you will know: this verse further develops the motif of knowledge introduced in 2:27. The Judahites will learn that the Lord is present in their economic prosperity and political autonomy, even though they did not associate God’s presence with their crop failure.

* [4:18] Images of agricultural abundance illustrate the harmony and order Joel expects the Lord to establish in Judah; like 2:18–27, this section reverses the deprivation and drought of chap. 1. A spring…house of the LORD: streams of water flowing from the Temple of an ideal Jerusalem also appear in Ez 47:1. The Valley of Shittim: or “the ravine of the acacia trees”; while there is a Shittim east of the Jordan, the reference here is probably to that rocky part of the Kidron Valley southeast of Jerusalem, an arid region where acacia trees flourished. (Joel, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)

Psalm 97 rejoices in the overthrowing of idol worshipers.

* [Psalm 97] The hymn begins with God appearing in a storm, a traditional picture of some ancient Near Eastern gods (Ps 97:1–6); cf. Ps 18:8–16; Mi 1:3–4; Heb 3:3–15. Israel rejoices in the overthrowing of idol worshipers and their gods (Ps 97:7–9) and the rewarding of the faithful righteous (Ps 97:10–12). (Psalms, PSALM 97, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus exhorts us to True Blessedness

* [11:27–28] The beatitude in Lk 11:28 should not be interpreted as a rebuke of the mother of Jesus; see note on Lk 8:21. Rather, it emphasizes (like Lk 2:35) that attentiveness to God’s word is more important than biological relationship to Jesus. (Luke, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)

Margo Minnich comments that we hear Jesus say, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” These words focus the listener on the deep reality of discipleship. Intimacy with God is not about proximity to Him, but about participation in His work. This is a personal call to be not just a listener but a doer of the Word.

We can connect these seemingly disparate readings by considering how our lives dedicated to the Word of God allow us to dwell in His refuge. God’s protection comes in our relationship sustained by faith and fidelity to God’s teachings. Saint Ignatius reminds us that love is shown more in our actions than in words.

To “observe” God’s word is to let it challenge us to act in ways that preference God’s glory over our own comfort, and to align our daily actions with His teaching. Today’s readings present God as both our refuge and our mission. 

We can begin our prayer today in gratitude, recalling a time when God has been a refuge to us personally. We can then listen for Jesus’ invitation to live his word by asking ourselves, “Where is God calling me to act today? How can I serve as His refuge for others today?” (Minnich, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “Blessings for hearing and keeping the Word,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. To someone who said, 'Blessed is the womb that bore you,' he replied, 'Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.' Finally, for his brothers, his relatives according to the flesh who did not believe in him, of what advantage was that relationship? Even her maternal relationship would have done Mary no good unless she had borne Christ more happily in her heart than in her flesh." (excerpt from HOLY VIRGINITY 3.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 11:27-28 invites us to join the company of saints and angels in heaven every time you say no to temptation and yes to Jesus. Francis of Assisi, Thérèse of Lisieux, Augustine, Mother Teresa, and all the rest rejoice. So does Mary, our mother!

But what’s even more amazing is that your yes to God, offered with faith and acceptance, is no less valuable in God’s eyes than the yes offered by every saint. It’s no less valuable than Mary’s own yes to the angel. That’s how much he loves you.

“Lord, help me to stay focused on listening to your word and keeping it with all my heart!” (Meditation on Luke 11:27-28, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the reading from Joel about the Day of the Lord that declares people will receive what they deserve. God will take care of Zion while the enemies are punished. The remnant of the exile will live in God’s peace. Blessed womb and breast and blessed are those who hear the Word and obey it. In Luke, Mary, the perfect disciple, is one who did hear the Word and obeyed it through her trust in God’s promise. Friar Jude notes that when we live as Catholics we commit ourselves to trust in God in the events of our lives.

Fr. Mike Schmitz points out how advice from books like Proverbs and Sirach may not apply perfectly to every situation, but are meant to help guide us towards wisdom. He also highlights a piece from Sirach that encourages us to avoid "deserted places"—calling us not only to stay away from sin, but to stay away from what leads us to sin. The readings are 1 Maccabees 3, Sirach 7-9, and Proverbs 22:5-8.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, who critiques the “grind culture” engendered by capitalism and reminds us of our divine right to rest in body and mind.

Our bodies and Spirits do not belong to capitalism, no matter how it is theorized and presented. Our divinity secures this, and it is our right to claim this boldly. I’m not grinding ever. I trust the Creator and my Ancestors to always make space for my gifts and talents without needing to work myself into exhaustion…. [1]  

Rest is as natural as breathing and waking up. Rest is part of our nature. Resting is about getting people back to their truest selves. To what they were before capitalism robbed you of your ability to just be. Rest is anything that slows you down enough to allow your body and mind to connect in the deepest way. We must be focused on knowing that our bodies and our worth are not connected to how many things we can check off a list. You can begin to create a “Not-To-Do-List” as you gain the energy to maintain healthy boundaries. Our opportunity to rest and reimagine rest is endless. There is always time to rest when we reimagine. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the Spirit to inspire our action to transform the Good News we hear into love, compassion and care for people and the environment.

References

Joel, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/joel/4?12 

Luke, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?27 

Meditation on Luke 11:27-28. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/10/11/1405165/ 

Minnich, M. (2025, October 11). Daily Reflection October 11, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-11-2025 

Psalms, PSALM 97. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/97?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/from-accumulation-to-abundance-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Hear the Word of God and Keep It. Daily Scripture Net. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/