A Word of Hope for 19 Feb 2026 by Fr. Andrew Carl Wisdom, OP.
Growing up, many of us dreaded Lent—thinking only of mortification, giving things up, and "just getting through it." But is it possible to find joy in a season of penance? While the readings speak of life and death, and Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, the goal is not suffering for its own sake.
Lent is a radical reorientation. By de-centering our false selves and stepping back from the noise, we aren't losing our lives—we are finding our true selves in God. Join us for this reflection on how to embrace Lent not as a burden, but as a retreat into a deeper friendship with God.
**Timeline:**
0:00 Welcome from St. Dominic’s Church in Denver
0:27 The Common Dread of Lent
0:45 Is Lent a Season of Joy?
0:57 Moses: Choosing Life vs. Death
1:12 Jesus: Deny Yourself and Take Up Your Cross
1:32 A Radical Reorientation: Putting God at the Center
2:00 The Counterintuitive Truth: Finding Our Deepest Self
2:20 Lent as a Retreat: De-centering the Self
2:40 God is Waiting for Us
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