Day 1: Ash Wednesday

"He must increase, I must decrease" (Jn. 3:30). These words of John the Baptist who prepared the way for the Lord ring in our hearts today, as we begin our vigil with an outpouring of prayer and fasting across our land. Christians all over the world on this Ash Wednesday are called to spiritual reflection on our own humanity as well as our witness to Christ. As we commence our 40 Days for Life campaign along with the season of Lent, let's remember our need to keep God front and center, and ourselves in the back seat in our witness for the unborn.

We reflect today on the following passage from Day 1 of The Purpose-Driven Life, by Rick Warren:

You were made by God and for God--and until you understand that, life will never make sense. It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny. Every other path leads to a dead end.

Let us ask ourselves, how many paths have we taken in our quest for self-understanding and happiness? How does our witness for the unborn lead us back to God, or help us understand our dependence on Him? How can we help others form a relationship with God through the lives we are leading today?

By the way, if you haven't already made a fasting resolution for this spring campaign, you can find 111 ideas at http://www.nicksenger.com/onecatholiclife/101-practical-fasting-ideas-for-lent-redux. It's a Catholic page, but most of the suggestions are acceptable for all Christians. With over a hundred suggestions for fasting, I'm sure we can all take inspiration!