Our world is very confusing. We have all the technology to enable communication, but at the same time, people have never been more lonely. Real people are replaced by virtual friends. Small thumbs up on a screen is more important than a friendly smile on the street.
As we walk through Lent we have to look at the people around us. Our repentance happens in the real world, so it means that it happens among people. If each one of us closes our own repentance into a small room, the fruits of this action will stay only in the room. Part of our journey is to be holy in front of others. I am not talking about empty pride, but about testifying about being with Christ. Coming back to Jesus requires making him alive in everything we do. It has to be visible in our work, our families, our political values, in the Church.
This act of spiritual conversion also has another element. It happens within the Church. My heart is repenting the same as yours. We stand side by side in front of the Merciful God. We walk side by side to the Most Holy Altar of our Savior. There is a very important path we have to walk. It leads to the place where God waits with the Sacrament of forgiveness - it leads to confession.
This path for many people is very scary. They are afraid because Satan presents them with a big lie about God's mercy. One of our Lenten works is to encourage at least one person to come to Jesus Christ and confess their sins and receive absolution. If you know someone who hasn't gone to seek this mercy, you should reach out to that person. If you help your neighbor to repent you will save your own life.
So, repent and help others repent too.