Return to Me with All Your Heart

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Return to Me with All Your Heart


Readings:
First Reading - Joel 2:12–18
Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 51:3–6. 12–14. 17
Second Reading - 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2
Glory and Praise  -  Psalm 95:7–8
Gospel Reading  - Matthew 6:1–6. 16–18

The message running through today’s readings is urgent, tender, and deeply personal:

“Return to Me.”

Not partially.
Not outwardly.
But with your whole heart.

A Call to Return

Through the prophet Joel, God speaks:

“Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

This is not merely an invitation to religious activity. It is a call to inner transformation.

Joel adds something powerful:

“Rend your hearts and not your garments.”

In biblical times, tearing one’s garment was a sign of grief or repentance. But God is not interested in external drama. He desires inward surrender.

True repentance is not performance. It is conversion.

A Broken and Contrite Heart

Psalm 51 gives us the prayer of a repentant soul:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God.”

David does not make excuses. He does not shift blame. He acknowledges his sin and asks for renewal.

The psalm reminds us that God does not despise a broken and humble heart.

Sometimes we fear admitting our weakness. But honesty before God is the doorway to healing.

Now Is the Acceptable Time

St. Paul, in 2 Corinthians, pleads:

“Be reconciled to God… Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.”

Notice the urgency. Not tomorrow. Not when life slows down. Not when circumstances improve.

Now.

Grace is available now. Forgiveness is offered now. Restoration begins now.

Every delay hardens the heart a little more. Psalm 95 warns:

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Hidden Devotion

In Matthew 6, Jesus shifts our attention to motive.

He speaks about three spiritual practices:

  • Giving

  • Prayer

  • Fasting

But He emphasizes something deeper: do it in secret.

The danger is not in the practice itself but in seeking recognition. Spiritual acts lose their purity when they become performances.

Jesus reminds us that the Father sees in secret.

Real transformation happens in the hidden places — the quiet prayer, the unseen sacrifice, the private surrender.

The Heart of the Message

All these readings converge into one truth:

God is not after appearances.
He is after your heart.

He does not demand perfection before welcoming you back.
He asks for sincerity.

Return with honesty.
Pray with humility.
Give with love.
Fast with quiet devotion.

And trust that the Father who sees in secret will restore you openly.

Questions for Reflection

  • Am I practicing my faith to be seen, or to be transformed?

  • What areas of my heart need to be “rent” — torn open before God?

  • Have I been postponing reconciliation with Him?

  • What step can I take today to return fully?

Prayer

Lord,
Create in me a clean heart.
Remove every hardness and pride.
Teach me to seek You in the secret place.
Help me return not with empty words but with sincere love.
Now is the day — draw me back to You completely.
Amen.

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