If someone asked you to go on a trip with them, would you go?  Before you say yes, I’m sure you would want to know where you would be going, when you would be leaving, and how long the trip would be. You would start thinking about how you will get to the destination; are you flying or driving. You would be thinking about the clothes you would need to pack and who is going to take care of your pet. What activities are available and then finally, do I have the time to take such a trip and can I afford to take this trip.  A lot of thought goes into your decision.

There is someone who has invited you, not on a trip but on a journey. Going on a trip usually means going to one place where a journey is traveling from one place to another.

I can tell you the initial part of the journey is 40 days and 40 nights. And it starts today. The journey will have its challenges, and you will be forced out of your comfort zone from time to time. You will have to go without some of your favorite foods and activities so you can focus your time with this person.  You will have the opportunity to spend quality time with the person, learning more about them. 

The person has the itinerary all planned out, so your job is to follow them. You are encouraged to ask many questions about the journey, like “why are we going here?” or “why is this place so important?” or “why are you doing all of this?” 

As you journey, you will meet other people, some of them will need your help, so you will be asked to give of your time, talent, and your treasure to help them. Some of the things you like, you will be asked to give up so you can help or offer them to someone in need.    

I hope you realize the person asking you on this journey is Jesus. He is inviting you to journey with him these next 40 days. With him you will experience many different things. You will be in the desert to be tempted by the devil. Others will join you on this journey with Jesus, as he asks more people to join him. You will be asked to take care of others who need food or clothing or friendship. Jesus will teach you how to pray or talk to the Father, acknowledging his infinite greatness and mercy that he has for you.  Jesus will teach you that it’s okay to ask the Father for things you need, and you will be heard. 

And this all happens in the first week of your journey.  The 40 days are just the beginning of this journey you are on. As I mentioned, you will experience many emotions.  You will see people who are sick or dying wanting to see Jesus, believing he can heal them, even if they can just touch his clothes. 

You will see incredible things you don’t really understand like a blind man able to see or a dead man come back to life. You will see Jesus transfigured before your eyes and the voice of the Father praising his Son. Jesus will talk to everyone in a way no one has ever done before. He knows things about the people he just met, like he has known them all his life. 

You will experience Jesus’ mercy and kindness to the people he meets and challenging them when their idea of the truth is not correct. 

You will see people who don’t like Jesus, thinking he is a troublemaker.  They devise a plan to show Jesus breaking their laws so they can get rid of him. 

There is so much more to describe but I will stop right here with the details, except to tell you the destination… it is heaven… but before you can get there, the journey requires Jesus to be there for a time… on the cross. He knows it and places himself there for you. 

So, the question for you is: are you willing to go on this journey with Jesus? If you say yes, it won’t be an easy one and it requires some sacrifice and effort on your part. I mentioned some sacrifices before. Another could be

giving up some screen time and spending time reading the readings for the day… and then having some daily conversations with Jesus, asking him anything that’s on your mind.  Today is a great day to start this journey. The ashes you will receive tells Jesus you are ready to follow him.  You want get to know him more than you do now and you want to understand the cost. 

Starting off on a clean slate is always good, so consider receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation to remove anything that could keep you from experiencing the journey to its fullest.

Jesus wants you on this journey with him so you can try to understand his love for you. And when you do, he wants you to imitate him, showing love and compassion for each other.   If you decide to join him on this journey, your life will be changed in ways you will never expect.

I can’t afford not to go on this journey, so I’m going…

How about you?