REFLECTION:

This past Sunday, I had a nice conversation with some parishioners after Mass. We were talking about life in the past and how kids used to show respect in simple ways. While we were talking, one of the parents had her son come to pick her up. When he walked in, he just stood there quietly. His mom looked at him and said, “Excuse me, what do you do when you walk into a room and there are people here? You go shake Father’s hand, you give aunty a kiss, and you say hello.”

It was a small moment, but it said something important. Those simple actions—greeting people, showing respect, acknowledging others—don’t just happen automatically. Someone has to teach them. Parents pass them down, and over time those habits shape the kind of person we become.

That’s very similar to what Moses tells the people in the reading from Book of Deuteronomy. Moses tells the people to observe God’s commandments carefully and to teach them to their children. When people live according to God’s ways, others will notice. They will see a people who live with wisdom, respect, and purpose.

In other words, the way we live reveals what we believe.

Then in the Gospel from Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Jesus reminds us that God’s commandments are not just rules—they are meant to shape our hearts and guide how we treat one another. And that connects beautifully with Lent.

Lent is a season where we return to the basics of our faith. We focus again on the small but important habits that shape our lives—prayer, fasting, charity, forgiveness, humility. These are like the spiritual “manners” of the Christian life. Over time, they form who we are.

Just like that mother reminding her son how to greet people, Lent is the Church reminding us how to live as disciples of Jesus.

Sometimes we forget. Sometimes we get distracted. Sometimes we drift. So Lent gently calls us back.

And when we begin living these things again—praying more intentionally, being kinder, forgiving others, helping those in need—people notice something different. Not because we are trying to impress them, but because God is shaping our lives.

That is exactly what Moses said thousands of years ago: when people live according to God’s ways, others will see wisdom in their lives.

And the reason is simple: God is close to His people.

That’s the real gift of Lent. It reminds us that God is near, calling us back to Him, teaching us again how to live.