Divine Intimacy - Lenten Meditations for 2026 - Day 1 Ash Wednesday

Ashes signal a beginning, not an ending. We open Lent by choosing a clear path: daily readings from Divine Intimacy and a simple, sturdy way to pray that draws us into God’s love without performance. The Teresian method becomes our map—presence, reading, meditation, colloquy—so prayer shifts from theory to encounter. Instead of grand gestures, we aim for honest conversation with the One who already loves us, letting doctrine nourish devotion and guide the heart.

From the very start, the message is sharp: remember you are dust. That truth doesn’t crush; it clarifies. We talk about mortality as a gift that resets priorities, nudging us to detach from what fades and choose what lasts—charity, fidelity, and a steady pursuit of holiness. Then we turn to penance with the nuance it deserves. Fasting and abstinence matter, but only as signs of a deeper conversion. Rend hearts, not garments. Keep sacrifices hidden, mortify self-love first, and let humility give your practices weight. We break down the basics—Ash Wednesday and Good Friday fasting, Friday abstinence in Lent—and gently challenge you to go beyond the bare minimum if health allows. Detachment reveals desire; desire finds God.

Along the way, we stay practical and pastoral. Keep Sundays free from fasting. If a fuller abstinence helps, keep it. Pair fasting with daily, focused prayer; use the colloquy to turn belief into love. Revisit the Cross through the Stations. If you need inspiration, the saints are close at hand—Teresa, Thérèse, John of the Cross—teaching us to build intimacy on solid ground. Our goal isn’t a tougher checklist but a truer heart, one that moves from ashes to Easter with purpose.

Want to journey with us? Subscribe for daily releases on YouTube and audio, share this with a friend who needs a Lenten reset, and leave a review with your own practice this season. Let’s seek what endures together.

Transcript

Why Divine Intimacy This Year

SPEAKER_01 0:31

Hello everyone. Welcome. If you're watching this when it releases, then good morning. And uh and welcome to uh to Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent this year. Um I have done these Lenton recordings for I don't know, this is the third or fourth year, I forget now. Um but um but if you're new to these, uh what I what I do is I I I choose some sort of work with um you know daily readings of meditations that we can go through here throughout Lent in preparation for uh for Holy Week and the Passion and uh and for Easter. And um, you know, we read, I read whatever the book has to offer, and then um, you know, I'll give any off the cuff uh remarks or comments on the reading and meditation that I might have. Uh we try to keep them pretty short. Um it varies each day and it varies due to the work, so I'm not sure how long these videos are going to be on average yet. Um in the past, I have done um readings and meditations from School of Jesus Crucified, which is my uh my personal favorite. I've done meditations for Lent from Bishop Jacques Bossuet, um, which were great. Um, this year I am doing the daily um daily readings and meditations from Divine Intimacy by Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, who was uh a Carmelite, discalced Carmelite. Um the Divine Intimacy is great because it provides readings and meditations for every day of the year, and it's based on the the traditional liturgical calendar. Um, so it is you know specific readings and meditations for basically every feast out there as you go through the liturgical year. So what's nice for me as I do this for Lent is that it gives me a set reading for each day, whereas other work that we've done in the past, I've had to kind of figure out what was going to be read each day. This one gives it to me straight up, which is nice. Um, this first day is gonna be a little longer because I am gonna kind of read the preface um for the book here. Uh, just that way, for any of you who are unfamiliar with divine intimacy, you'll get an idea of the spirituality behind it. Um, you'll get an idea of how it's set up, um the structure of it for each day. So it is going to make today's reading a little longer. Um, every other reading after this should be should be shorter. But uh what I like to do is I throw uh uh an image up on screen, just a thumbnail image I I've made for this series, just that way I'm not worried about anyone watching me as I read, I guess. It makes it easier for me. And then there's nothing for you to look at, so it it makes it easier for you to just listen and meditate upon what is being read and what is being said. Um these will go up on YouTube every morning. I hope to have them. I'm not gonna do them like as a live this year, they're just gonna be pre-recorded and uh pre-recorded and released probably at 9 a.m. Eastern every day. But um, but that's the plan right now. Uh they'll be on YouTube, they'll be on uh audio podcasts, they should be up on. I don't know if I'm gonna put them on Rumble or Locals, to be honest. Um it's just a lot more work when I'm doing it that way, uh as a pre-recording, having to upload each separately, just a lot more work. So they are gonna be completely available to everyone free of charge. So I'm just gonna do YouTube and audio podcasts. I think will be easiest. If I get a lot of requests to do them on things like Rumble or Locals, I can I can put them up there too if if a lot of people are requesting it. But I have a feeling audio podcasts and YouTube are probably gonna be the best bet for these. So without further ado, um I'm gonna throw up the image and start with the preface, and we'll we'll go from there.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

So here we go. So the preface.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

Mental prayer is indispensable to the spiritual life. Normally it is, so to speak, its very breath. However, the spontaneity in prayer is usually realized only if the soul applies itself to meditation for some time by its own personal effort. In other words, one must learn how to pray. It is to teach souls this devout practice that various meditation books have been published. There are many methods, each with its own merit. Among them is the Teresian method, so-called because it is based on the teachings of Saint Teresa of Jesus, the founders of the Discoused Carmelites, and the great mistress of the spiritual life. Some years ago, we outlined this method in a pamphlet called The Little Catechism of Prayer, which has since been translated into many European languages to some of the Asiatic tongues. Side note, that uh pamphlet was published in 1949. It is a simple exposition of the Turesian method according to the writings of many Carmelite authors. Its widespread circulation shows very clearly that this method answers the needs and the desires of many prayerful souls. Hence we judge it as Samlin offer souls aspiring to advance in the interior life a collection of subjects for meditation for each day of the year, according to the Tiresian idea and method of mental prayer. The idea of mental prayer which Saint Teresa has left us is well known in our day. In her autobiography, she defines it as friend she defines it as friendly intercourse in frequent solitary converse with him who we know loves us. In these words, Saint Teresa reveals the effective spirit of mental prayer, which is its special characteristics. It is friendly intercourse, an exchange of mutual benevolence between the soul and God, during which the soul converses intimately with God. Intimacy, as we know, is the fruit of love. And the soul speaks with him who love she knows. Each element of the definition contains the idea of love, but at the end the saint mentions that the soul ought also to know and be conscious of God's love for her. This is the part which the intellect plays in prayer. Therefore, according to Saint Teresa, there is an exercise of both the intellect and the will in mental prayer. The intellect seeks to convince the soul that God loves her and wishes to be loved by her. The will, responding to the divine invitation, loves.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

That is all. There could be no clearer concept of prayer. But how translate it into practice?

Reading The Preface Begins

SPEAKER_01 8:06

This is the task of the method. In order to understand the structure of the Theresian method clearly, we must keep in mind the definition of prayer given above. Then we shall easily see that it is fully realized by such a method, that it truly means conversing lovingly with our Lord, once we understand that he loves us. We cannot speak to God intimately unless we are con are in contact with him. For this reason, we make use of the preparation, which consists in placing ourselves more directly in the presence of God, turning to him by means of a good thought. In order to convince ourselves that God loves us, we choose we choose for the subject of meditation one of the truths of faith which can make his love evident. This is the purpose of the reading of an appropriate passage. However, it does not suffice merely to read the matter. We must examine it thoroughly. And there is no better way of doing this than by reflecting upon it, by meditating. All revealed truth can manifest God's love for me, but today I try to understand it by reflecting on the theme I've chosen in my reading. I make use of the good thoughts contained in the subject of the meditation to actually convince myself of his love, so that love for him will come spontaneously into my heart, in words perhaps to my lips. Thus, my colloquy, side note, uh colloquy is a it's a it's a formal uh dialogue. So thus my colloquy, my formal dialogue with God begins. I tell him in every way possible, using the words which come to me most spontaneously, that I love him, that I want to love him, that I want to advance in his holy love, and that I wish to prove my love for him by my actions, by doing his holy will. And now we are at the center, the heart of prayer. For many souls, nothing more is needed. Some, however, prefer greater variety. Therefore, to facilitate the prolonging of our loving conversation with God, the final three steps of the method are offered. These, however, are optional. Thanksgiving. After having told our Lord again that we love him, we thank him for all the benefits we have received from him and show him that we are grateful. Offering. Aware of having received so many favors, we try to repay our debt as far as we can by making some good resolution. It is always useful to end our prayer in this way. Petition. The consciousness of our weakness and fraility urges us to implore the help of God. This is the whole Theresian method, divided divided into seven steps. Two introductory one, which is the preparation or the presence of God, and then the reading, two essential, the meditation and the colloquy, and then three optional, and help to help in prolonging the colloquy, the thanksgiving, the offering, and the petition. The meditations in this book are based on this method. We begin with the presence of God, and this is an appropriate thought which brings us into contact with our Creator and orients us toward Him. The reading provides the subject for the meditation. And as many spiritual persons apply themselves to meditation twice a day, each meditation offers two points. The soul then begins to reflect, using freely the text already read. In this way it will pass spontaneously to the colloquy, which according to the Theresian concept is the heart, the center of method prayer. That is why our meditations are directed toward helping souls, especially on this point. To this end, we have tried to give the colloquy the colloquies a form that is sufficiently ample. Nevertheless, they may be used freely as desired, each soul choosing whatever corresponds to the need of the moment. To make the colloquies more efficacious, we have selected suitable ardent expressions and thoughts taken by preference from the writings of the saints and other loving souls. Very often we have been obliged to make slight modifications in these texts in order to adapt them to the intimate form of a colloquy. However, we always indicate their source in parentheses. The colloquies consist of expressions of love, alternating with petitions, acts of thanksgiving, and transports of the soul toward God. These are made concrete in the resolutions. We hope that these meditations, written in this way, will help souls to apply themselves to mental prayer according to the Teresian idea and method. Teresian spirituality is the spirituality of divine intimacy. That is, it tries to nourish us and soul, it tries to nourish in souls the ideal of intimacy with God, and it directs them toward this ideal, principally by means of mental prayer. Mental prayer should be attuned, therefore, to this great and lofty aspiration. This is the tone we have tried to give our meditations. The title Divine Intimacy indicates our intention to help souls as far as possible to attain this great end. In addition, Teresian's spirituality is also doctrinal. Saint Teresa of Jesus, the great mistress of the spiritual life, always desired and endeavored to put her desire into practice that the ascetical and mystical life of those who were dear to her be based on solid doctrine, for the saint greatly loved theology. That is why we have desired to build these meditations upon a sound theological basis. We have attempted to arrange them in such a way, in the course of one year, the most important problems of the spiritual life and all the supernatural realities met with in the interior life will have been reviewed. And then it goes through to the the different months and um kind of the themes of each month, but we're only we're only really dealing with Lent, so I won't go through them. Um let me skip down here a little. We should like to call attention to one last point. Precisely because Teresian spirituality is the spirituality of divine intimacy, the spirit impregnant impregnating the exercises by which we hope to attain this lofty ideal must be the spirit of love. We have tried to keep in mind this special mark of the spirit of Carmel. Not all meditation books are adapted to souls thirsting for divine intimacy, simply because they are too much imbued with the spirit of fear. Not, indeed, that fear is not profitable for certain souls, but since there are so many books of this type, we judged it timely to publish a collection of meditations in which love would be united to filial, reverential fear instead of servile fear, while not denying that this latter can be very salutory. This is also the reason we have, by preference, emphasize the positive topics of virtue and spiritual progress rather than the negative ones of vice and sin. May the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love who deigns to dwell in our souls in order to bring them gradually under his complete influence and direction, kindle in us with abundant effusion that love of charity which will lead us to intimacy with God. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of fair love, whose soul filled with grace was ever moved by the Holy Ghost, obtain for for us from this divine spirit the favor of remaining docile to his invitations, so that we may realize with the help of an assidious um no, an assid assiduous, not assidious, an assiduous, effective practice of mental prayer, the beautiful ideal of intimate union with God. And that is Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, uh, written in Rome on the Feast of the Sacred Heart in 1952. Let me take off the image here real quick. Okay, so that was the preface.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

Let me just um skip to where we are beginning for Ash Wednesday here, real quickly. Give me just a minute here.

SPEAKER_01 17:03

Okay, so um so as as we just read, these readings are gonna begin with a thought that should put us in the presence of God, right? So a short a short little statement that will do that, and then we have two two kind of points of meditation to read through. And a lot of them are largely based on the the mass readings for the day in many cases. Um so if it talks about the gospel or you know the lesson or or something like that from the mass, um uh go go look up what the what the the readings for for mass were you know on the in the traditional missile um in that day. And that's why when I um there are different versions of this work out there. The this one is from Baronius Press. Uh you can see the Baronius, if my camera focuses, you can see the Baronius symbol there. Um the Baronius version uh is is the original version based on around the traditional calendar. Um, they do have versions that are based around the Novusordal calendar, but because the readings can be different, it it's they really had to bastardize it to make it fit the new calendar. So I highly recommend the original. Um, but when it talks about the gospel of the day or the gospel of of this of Sunday or something like that, it's talking about um from the traditional calendar. So we start with the presence of God, have two points, two readings of the meditation, and then go into the co uh the the colloquy. So uh without further ado here, let me put the image back up and we will get going on the Ash Wednesday one here. Ash Wednesday presence of God I place myself in your presence, O Lord. Illumine with your light the eternal truth and awaken in my soul a sincere desire for conversion.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Meditation part one Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

Genesis 3 19 These words, spoken for the first time by God to Adam after he had committed sin, are repeated today by the church to every Christian in order to remind him of two fundamental truths his nothingness and the reality of death. Dust, the ashes which the priest puts on our foreheads today has no substance. The lightest breath will disperse it. It is a good representation of man's nothingness. O Lord, my substance is as nothing before thee. Psalm 38 6 exclaims the psalmist. Our pride, our arrogance needs to grasp this truth, to realize that everything in us is nothing. Drawn from nothing, by the creative power of God, by his infinite love which willed us, which will to communicate his being in his life to us, we cannot, because of sin, be reunited with him for eternity without passing through the dark reality of death. The consequence and punishment of sin, death is in itself, bitter and painful. But Jesus, who wanted to be like to us in all things, in submitting to death, has given all Christians the strength to accept it out of love. Nevertheless, death exists, and we should reflect on it, not in order to distress ourselves, but to arouse ourselves to do good. In all thy works, remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin. Sirach 7 forty. The thought of death places before our eyes the vanity of earthly things, the brevity of life. All things are passing, God alone remains, and therefore it urges us to detach ourselves from everything, to scorn every earthly satisfaction, and to seek God alone. The thought of death makes us understand that all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone. Remember that you have only one soul, that you have only one death to die. Then there will be many things about which You care nothing. That is, you will give up everything that has no eternal value. Only love and fidelity to God are of are of value for eternity.

SPEAKER_00 22:14

In the evening of life, you will be judged on love. Part two of the meditation.

The Teresian Method In Practice

SPEAKER_01 22:24

Today's liturgy is an invitation to penance. During the imposition of the ashes, we chant, let us change our garments and cover ourselves with sack sackcl. Let us change our garments and cover ourselves with sackcloth and ashes. Let us fast and weep before the Lord. It is an invitation to the corporal penance, which is especially prescribed for this season. But it is immediately followed by the invitation to be converted. Let us atone for the sins we have committed. The end of physical mortification is spiritual penance, humility, recognition of our faults, compunction of heart, and the reform of our lives. This is the predominant thought of the day. We read in the epistle, Thus saith the Lord, be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting and in weeping and in mourning, and rend your hearts and not your garments. Compunction and conversion of heart hold the first the first place, because the corporal penance that does not proceed from a contrite heart has no value. On the other hand, corporal penance prepares the soul for conversion, insofar as it is the means of reaching it. We read in the preface, O God, by fasting you re you repress sin, elevate the soul, and give it strength and recompense. One who wishes to reach the goal, which is the renewing of the spirit, much embro must embrace willingly the means which leads to it, namely corporal penance. At the same time, he must remember that compunction of heart gives value to corporal penance, which in its turn engenders and gives expression to compunction of heart. These two elements are never separated. The gospel says further that all penance must be accomplished sincerely and joyfully, without vain ostentation. When you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Vanity and pride make even the most austere penitential practices useless and sometimes even sinful. They destroy their substance and value and reduce them to mere externals, empty of all content. Hence, when you hence, when you mortify your body, take care to mortify your self-love still more.

SPEAKER_00 25:07

Now the colloquy.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

O Jesus, how long is man's life? Although we say that it is short, it is short short, O my God, since by it we are to gain a life without end. But it seems very long to the soul who aspires to be with you quickly. O my soul, you will enter into rest when you are absorbed into the sovereign good, when you know what he knows, love what he loves, and enjoy what he enjoys. Then your will will no longer be inconstant nor subject to change, and you will forever enjoy him and his love. Blessed are they whose names are written in the book of life. If yours is there, why are you sad, O my soul, and why are you troubled? Trust in God, to whom I still I shall still confess my sins and whom mercies I shall proclaim. I shall compose a canticle of praise for him, and shall not cease to send up my sighs toward my Savior and my God. A day will come perhaps when my glory will praise him, and my conscience will not feel the bitterness of compunction, in the place where tears and fears have ceased forever. O Lord, I will I would rather live and die in hope, and in the effort to gain eternal life than to possess all creatures and their perishable goods. Do not abandon me, O Lord. I hope in you, and my hope will not be confounded. Give me the grace to serve you always and dispose of me as you wish. If the remembrance of my infidelities torments me, I shall remember, O Lord, that as soon as we are sorry for having offended you, you forget all our sins and malice. O truly infinite goodness, what more could one desire? Who would not blush with shame to ask so much of you? But now is the favorable favorable time to profit from it, my merciful Savior, by accepting what you offer. You desire our friendship. Who can refuse to give it to you who did not refuse to shed all your blood for us by sacrificing your life? What you ask is nothing.

SPEAKER_00 27:25

It will be supre it will be to our supreme advantage to grant it to you. Okay.

Ash Wednesday Meditation: Mortality

Penance, Conversion, And Sincerity

SPEAKER_01 27:40

The uh the meditations and the colloquy for uh for today for Ash Wednesday. Um so uh as was said in the preface that we we heard right before this, um the colloquies, the which is the the dialogue part there, are largely taken from writings of the saints. Um not and not not word for word in all cases, like like he said, they adapted some passages to to the where it more sounds like a dialogue, so it's not gonna be um word-for-word quotes in all cases. It does tell me what um what works these colloquies come from, but um but I don't in kind of the the spirit of having it be more of a dialogue from from ourselves from from yourself to God. I'm not gonna uh I'm not gonna I'm not gonna qu quote what they what each one is from. If there are any that we read throughout these the next 40 days that um really do you know that that really that you seem to really relate to or or one you really want to know the source to, just leave a comment for me um on the video and and I can I can give that to you. A lot of them um just to go through what some of these some of them are here. A lot of them are from um from uh St. Teresa. Uh a lot of them are from you know, there's some from St. Therese. Uh trying to find some other ones here. Uh Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity is in a lot of them. Um there's a lot from St. John of the Cross. So if there's any that you would really like to know, um let me know, and I'll give you what it's from. But um I guess the point uh of all of this uh is to drive, you know, um internal complementation, uh complutation um sorry, eternal uh meditation and and in and you know silent prayer and then things of that nature. So it's it's more the col the colloquizer is supposed to be a dialogue between you and God. Um so uh just uh let's see, let me read look through it real quick. Any thoughts I have on this stuff here? Um in that second second part of the meditation, talking about penance, and um, you know, I I think a lot we talk about this uh a lot throughout Lent, or not a lot throughout Lent, but it usually gets mentioned once or twice, usually at the beginning of Lent. But you know, whatever you're doing for a penance, for fasting, for abstinence, um, it doesn't have to be like uh doesn't have to be super secretive, but keep keep in mind the goal, right? And keep in mind what you're trying to do with it. And um, you know, it's stuff that builds up treasure in heaven. And if you're you're if you're talking about it here to to get uh you know pity or um attention here on earth, you'll get your treasure on earth, but you're gonna lose out on whatever treasure it may have gained you in heaven. So um it's not something that you need to brag about or or talk about at length. Um, if someone asks you about it, obviously tell them the truth. Um, but otherwise, uh, you know, it's for you in your spiritual benefit, and you know, it's it's penance of your doing for your sins, um, you know, and in in in worship of God. So it's between you and God, uh, and it's best to keep it there as much as you can. But like I said, if someone asks, obviously be honest, tell the truth. Um, but uh it doesn't have to be shouted from the rooftops. Um, but in kind of that line of talking about penance. Um if you're listening to this on Ash Wednesday, obviously it's the first day of Lent. Um if you're listening to it in the morning, you know, I whatever um the church obviously has laid out what is required of us in terms of fasting and abstinence and things of that nature. Um, and that is the the low bar, and it has been lowered so low that that nearly everyone can do it. I mean, there are still exceptions, of course, for you know, medical reasons and and things of that nature. Um, but for the most part, and the but those are exceptions. Uh the rule is is that nearly everyone can do what is asked of them by the church. Um but we should really try to do more if we can. Uh what is asked of us is so little that that our that the the the Lord of the universe deserves more in in God knows, uh obviously God knows, but we ourselves know too um how how you know how much of terrible sinners we are. And I know I need to do a lot more penance than what is required of me by the church. Um so obviously do what is required of you, which you know means Ash Wednesday, good Friday are the two days of fasting throughout the whole year now. Um, and now the modern definition of fasting is one meal, uh, usually at dinner time, and then two smaller meals that one added do not equal the one main meal. Um, so that should be easily doable. Um uh Fridays throughout Lent are absolutely required abstinence um Fridays throughout the whole year. According to canon law, the normative practice is still abstinence from meat. Canon law also provides for exceptions um granted by bishops conferences, which you know the USCB has granted exceptions here in the US, so your average Friday you can substitute another penance, but you cannot do so throughout Lent. So, very minimum, fast Ash Wednesday, fast Good Friday, and abstain from meat the remaining Fridays, but come on, we can we can do more. You can do more, you know you can. Um, so I I would challenge everyone, you know, for Ash Wednesday today, don't eat. Unless you have a good medical reason to eat, just don't eat. Um, everyone in the world, for the most part, without a medical condition, can go, you know, the waking hours of one day without food. It's easily doable. And and if if it's hard, that just shows you how attached you are to the things we need to detach from, as our you know, as our meditation mentioned today. We need land needs to be about detaching from the world. Um, and detaching from from food is uh is honestly a rather easy way to to do that compared to so many other things. Um so uh so don't eat today, you know, and uh if you wake up tomorrow and you're not starving, don't eat right away. Just keep going as long as you can. Um many people I I know will will go from um Ash Wednesday through the Friday of this week with no food. Now that isn't doable for everyone, especially if you're new to it. But but I bet you can make it through today, Ash Wednesday, with no food at all. And at the very least, make it to at least 3 p.m. You know, have have a dinner tonight, a small dinner tonight if you need to, but but let's do more than the very, very, very, very bare minimum that is required of us. You know, and as far as abstinence goes, um uh today's obviously a day a day of abstinence too, um, abstinence from meat. But uh I bet you can abstain from meat more than just today and the Fridays over the next 40 days. You know, I bet you could do at least every Wednesday and every Friday. And I bet you could push it to even more. You know, in in throughout the history of the church, abstinence was a lot more from than just from meat on Fridays. You know, our our forefathers in the faith, our ancestors in the church abstained from from meat and from dairy, uh, and from other animal products every day throughout Lent. You know, uh so in the they had a lot less access to um to the sort of vegetarian and vegan foods that we have everywhere available now. So we can do more than just abstaining from meat on just Fridays. So let's let's try to do that too. Um so do something more than the bare minimum. Um our Lord sure gave more than the bare minimum for us on the cross. And uh I think we all know we we owe it to to him to mortify our flesh more than what is asked of us these days.

SPEAKER_00 37:48

So do do something more.

SPEAKER_01 37:54

Um but uh but don't be like don't be like the Pharisees who um who wear it on their face. You know, keep it yourself, store up your treasures in heaven, and um and you'll have a good land.

SPEAKER_00 38:13

And uh and yeah, that's what it's all about.

SPEAKER_01 38:19

You know, preparing for for the passion and preparing for Easter and detaching ourselves from from the things of this world. And um, and hopefully these readings will help you do that over the next 40 days, 46 days technically, but the 40 days of Lent don't include Sundays. Um, don't fast on Sundays. If if you're doing more than the bare minimum fasting, do not fast on Sundays. If you're doing something like abstaining from meat all Lent, still abstain from meat. That was traditional, but don't fast on Sundays. Sundays are not days of fasting or penance uh throughout the church because it it is the day of the resurrection. But um, but uh yeah, so that's the readings and the the dialogue, the colloquy for Ash Wednesday here. 40 minutes is way, way longer than these are going to be normally, guys. Um I think the first 20 minutes was taken up by the preface of the book, so I'm guessing these are more likely going to be 20 minutes long every day. Um, but we'll see how they go. But if anyone has any questions about Lenten practices, Lenten disciplines, other Lenten devotions, um let me know. Um get to stations of the cross as many times as you can throughout Lent. That's one of my favorites. If you're looking for more reading or other meditations, um School of Jesus Crucified is amazing. Uh I highly recommend reading that, or if you'd like to listen. I have I know I have a playlist for it on this channel when I read that one a few years ago. So check that out. Um, but, anyways, yeah, I hope you all have a a blessed and fruitful Ash Wednesday. Um remember to meditate upon what those ashes mean on your forehead, that we are nothing but dust, um, that everything in this life, all the everything we have in this world is nothing but dust. But um I will see you all tomorrow and every day now for uh the foreseeable future. And um I'm I'm really grateful uh for those of you who who watch the channel, who watch these, enjoy these, or just watch anything on the channel. I'm I'm grateful for um for everyone that this channel has put in my life. Uh whether you're just a viewer and have never left a comment or or anything or have never conversed with us, still grateful for you. But um, you know, I've got to know uh a lot of a lot of guests on this channel, a lot of viewers on this channel personally. Uh I've gotten you know a lot of you have become friends, so so thank you all for all that. Really appreciative, and and hopefully I can pay some of that back um through stuff like this. But, anyways, uh thank you all. Um, have a great Ash Wednesday, and um, I will see you tomorrow.