Lent 1, Friday – Ez 18:21-28; Ps 129:1-8; Matthew 5:20-26

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Lent whispers to us, inviting quiet reflection and sincere renewal. It often happens that we carry resentments deep within, allowing anger to harden our hearts against others. Sometimes, we don’t even recall the reasons for our suspicion or bitterness – it simply festers, feeding on assumptions and blind prejudice. How easy it is to focus sharply on someone’s flaws, projecting our judgements upon them, while failing to see the goodness that undoubtedly dwells within. We put them in boxes, label them unfairly, and act upon hasty conclusions. This “cherished resentment” – that dangerous, lingering anger – distorts our every interaction. It means that every word we speak, every gesture we make, risks harming them unnecessarily.

But Lent invites us into the light of truth, urging us to examine such broken relationships. It starts with humility: recognising, naming, and acknowledging where we ourselves have faltered. It asks us to act courageously – reconcile, apologise, and above all, forgive. These steps cannot be taken lightly, and often they are impossible without God’s grace. Standing in the truth is hard. Facing our own shortcomings can even seem unbearable. Yet, God stands ready to guide us, ready to firm our steps and soften our hearts.

Each day in this sacred season, we’re invited to bring difficult relationships before Him, asking for His help and healing. What do our reactions say about us? How do our words and actions affect others? Are our gestures ones that heal, or do they wound? Lent is not merely a time of fasting or external sacrifices; it is a call to transformation – a turning of the heart. With God’s gentle aid, we can begin to see others as He does, to love them fully, and to let go of bitterness that weighs us down. The path to mercy begins here, and through it, we become renewed in His grace.