On the last night of our 2024 European pilgrimage, I tripped and hit my face on the bus steps. A cut right beside my eye spewed blood. Surprisingly, I was handed an ice bag within a few minutes. That saved me from further complications and a trip to the emergency room.

Later, I asked where the ice came from. I was told a beautiful, white young woman with an angelic smile ran to McDonald’s right after my accident. I felt she was my guardian angel sent by God to heal me. Years ago, I read an article on discerning the name of one’s guardian angel. Though other articles cautioned against doing that, I kept the name in my memory bank: Lucerne. We got goosebumps when I told my co-pilgrims my angel’s name because the accident happened in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Coincidence? Maybe. I’d rather think it was a God incidence. He was assuring me that when I’m struck down, He will always heal me and bind my wounds. Often, He sends angels to do that.

Lella M. Santiago (lellams88@gmail.com)

reflect

Are you feeling discouraged, thinking God has allowed bad things to happen to you? Remember the times when, like a loving parent, He comforted you and eased your pain.

Loving Father, thank You for the guardian angels You have assigned to watch over me every day.

Saint Mathilda, pray for us.

Hosea reminds the people that their love for God needs to be a greater reality in their lives. At the moment, their love for Him is superficial and lacks true commitment. Without commitment, our faith is just on the surface; it has neither substance nor effect on our situation. This makes us believers in name only, and that is not enough to ensure our salvation.

¹ “Come, let us return to the Lord, it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds. ² He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence. ³ Let us know, let us strive to know the Lord; as certain as the dawn is his coming, and his judgment shines forth like the light of day! He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth.” ⁴ What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your piety is like a morning cloud, like the dew that early passes away. ⁵ For this reason I smote them through the prophets, I slew them by the words of my mouth; ⁶ For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.   

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21

R: It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.

³ Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. ⁴ Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) ¹⁸ For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. ¹⁹ My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. (R) ²⁰ Be bountiful, O Lord, to Zion in your kindness by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem; ²¹ then shall you be pleased with due sacrifices, burnt offerings and holocausts. (R) 

Gospel | Luke 18:9-14

Sometimes, it can be difficult for us to admit our mistakes—or in the case of our faith, to repent of our sins. To receive the gift of salvation, we need to accept what God is offering us and recognize that we are sinners. Is this the school of thought we subscribe to: “I was the one who broke it so I should be able to fix it”? If so, we will have trouble accepting that we need help with anything, let alone with our faith.

Gospel Acclamation

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

⁹ Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. ¹⁰ “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ ¹³ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ ¹⁴ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

Reflect

In today’s Gospel, who can you relate to: the Pharisee or the tax collector? In what way?

Read the Bible in one year! Read GENESIS 10 - 12 today.

Lent is a season of return, but sometimes, we forget what we are returning to. It is easy to focus on what we are giving up, how often we are praying, how many sacrifices we are making—and miss the heart of the matter. We can treat Lent as a checklist to accomplish rather than a call to “come home.” We can fast, pray, and give, yet remain far from God if our hearts are more focused on performance than on relationship.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable that cuts uncomfortably close to this danger. Two men go up to the temple to pray. One of them, a Pharisee, is proud of his religious achievements. He fasts, tithes, and avoids major sins. But his prayer is not directed toward God at all. It is a speech about his goodness, not a conversation with the One who can truly save him.

The other man, a tax collector, stands at a distance, beats his breast, and prays a simple, painful prayer: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” And it is he—not the Pharisee—who goes home justified.

The danger Jesus highlights is not just pride—it is the deeper danger of missing the entire point. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are meant to turn us back to God, not to ourselves. They are ways to come lower, to rediscover our need for mercy, and to let grace do what we cannot.

Jesus reminds us that the heart of Lent is how honestly we return. It is about humility, not achievement—about receiving mercy, not performing worthiness. He asks for hearts that know their need, that stop pretending, that dare to trust His mercy enough to be real.

Today, the invitation is simple: Let Lent be a homecoming, not a performance. Come to God not with your resumé, but with your heart. It will be enough.

Fr. Albert Garong, SSP

reflection question

Are you living this Lent trying to impress God—or trusting Him enough to be real?

Lord, strip away my need to perform and teach me to return to You with honesty and hope. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________________________