“Come back to Me.”

As I sit in church this morning,
waiting for Mass to begin,
this season feels different
from the past few months.

Christmas tide.
The New Year.
The Lunar New Year.
And in between, Ordinary Time.

The colours, the gatherings,
the abundance of food and noise.
Now it all feels distant.

In those seasons,
there were tensions,
misgivings,
moments of outbursts.
The ego wrestled for control.

Now silence grows louder.
I hear Your invitation:
“Come back to Me”.

There is no merit system of redemption.
No effort that earns forgiveness.
You have already loved first.

So why almsgiving?
Why fasting?
Why prayer?

Because I’m making space.
Because I hear You call,
“Come back to Me.”