GROW: Although we’re at the very beginning of Lent, today’s first reading from Genesis prepares us for words we will hear on the night of the Easter Vigil: “O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!” (Exsultet) O truly necessary sin?! O happy fault?! What could these words actually mean? I think the Exsultet is drawing us to see that sin is not the end of the story.

GROW: In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” In Matthew 23:3-5, Jesus says, “Do and observe all things whatsoever [the scribes and Pharisees] tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice … All their works are performed to be seen.” What Jesus is inviting us to see is that to authentically live the commandments requires more than mere external compliance with the letter of the law.

GROW: My understanding of prayer changed when I read St. Teresa of Calcutta's statement that says, "I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things." Prayer is not an incantation that can change the will of God. It is the act of raising our hearts and minds to God, and of opening ourselves — our will, our understanding, our joys, and our sorrows — to be sanctified. The prophet Isaiah seems to be saying something similar in the first reading.

GROW: There have been many times when I have experienced “imposter syndrome” in my work, where I doubt my own ability. In these times, I often looked to others to try to determine if I was doing enough. But instead of giving me the validation and encouragement I was seeking, this act of comparison frequently led to dissatisfaction. I began to wish I was more like others — more outgoing, more disciplined, more organized. But who I am and the gifts that I have to offer are exactly what I am being called to give in my vocation.