“Lent invites us to take an honest look in the mirror and ask ourselves a difficult but necessary question: Are we truly living the Gospel?” said Roumie. “Are we genuinely willing to turn our hearts over to Christ—to pick up our crosses, deny the comforts of this world, and follow Him in pursuit of the fullness and joy of the next?”
“That’s exactly what the Pray 40 challenge, The Return, has been for me this year. It’s been deeply good,” he said. “Not always easy—but profoundly good. Simply showing up each day to record the reflections and prayers has reminded me that real growth usually begins with surrender.”
“It requires letting go—shedding parts of our old selves—so that God can breathe new life into who we are becoming,” Roumie added. “That truth is woven throughout Pray 40, echoing Jesus’ promise that what is placed in God’s hands is never lost, but instead bears fruit.”
“This journey has deeply affected me,” he said, “and I know it will do the same for anyone willing to face the challenge of honest self-reflection and walk the path of Truth this Lent.”
In addition to Sr. Miriam’s audio being weirdly distorted, Jones mentioned that Sunday morning “all of our marketing campaigns just shut off for no reason. No one can explain why.”
“Anyway – please pray,” he said.
“St Joseph terror of demons, pray for us,” Jones continued. “Lord, I trust in You. You have no rival.”
“All things work for good for those who love You. I love You Lord,” said Jones. “Thank you even for this. May Your will be done. May the hearts you want to reach be reached through this work. It is all Yours Lord. Take it.”
“Lent is such an important time for all of us, whether we’ve taken our faith seriously for a while, or if maybe this might be our first Lent in prayer,” Jones told ChurchLeaders. “We all have an opportunity to return more deeply to our Father.”
“We all have an opportunity to more fully come home to the God Who loves us,” said Jones. “It all starts on Ash Wednesday, February 18, when we receive ashes on our foreheads in the Sign of the Cross, remembering that we are dust and to dust we shall return.”
As Roumie mentioned, this year’s prayer challenge is titled “The Return,” referencing the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It will incorporate “The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoevsky and “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Henri Nouwen.
