In confidence, as we enter Lent, our prayer echoes that of the Entrance Antiphon for Ash Wednesday: "You are merciful to all, O Lord, and despise nothing that you have made. You overlook people's sins to bring them to repentance, and you spare them for you, the Lord our God."

This prayer encourages us to continue our holy fasting in the campaign of Christian service and to take up battle against spiritual evils (cf. Collect). We do so because the Lord invites us to come back to him with all our hearts by fasting, weeping and mourning; and let our hearts be broken, not merely our outer garments torn (cf. Joel 2:12-18).

St. Paul exhorts us to be reconciled to God, for through our Lord, we might become the goodness of God (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20-6:2). This is our day of salvation.

And our acts of fasting, prayer and almsgiving should not make us gloomy people but people of joy. Our Lord urges us to be cheerful givers. Fasting and prayers should be occasions to render praise for the Lord's saving work in and through us (cf. Matt. 6:1-6, 16-18).