Convertimini ad me in toto corde vestro, in jejunio et fletu et planctu, et scindite corda vestra et non vestimenta vestra, ait Dominus omnipotens .

My brethren, we must listen to Our Lord as He calls us softly through Holy Scripture: Convert yourselves to me with your entire heart and with your entire thought. He did not say “with half of your heart”, but rather “with your entire heart”; because all the deeds we perform have their origin in the heart, since first they are conceived and then they are put into practice. Quia de corde exeunt malae cogitationes . Those wicked intentions which lead someone to commit murder, adultery and fornication; to tell lies, to bear false witness, to be greedy or avaricious, and all the evils of this world arise from the heart of man.

For this reason, Our Lord said: Convertimini ad me in toto corde vestro . Convert yourselves to me with your entire heart; because, if people do not willingly become converts to Our Lord, they will not be converted in any other way. When He said “with your entire heart” it means that we should distance ourselves from all our sins; because, if a person does penance for his sins, even if it is for murder and for many other sins, and yet retains but one of them in his heart, that penance is of little value to him, as has been said: Quid prodest viro si tota domus claudatur et unum relinquatur in ea foramen? Of what use is it if someone locks up his house or his castle, if he leaves a hole through which thieves might enter and plunder the castle or house? Of what use is it to someone who has taken somebody else's property, either through deceit, through robbery, through illegal seizure or by means of an unjust sentence, and then does penance, if he does not return that property? That penance will be of little advantage to him, because he considers doing it but yet does not. And for this reason Our Lord stated that Si offeres munum tuum ante altare et recordatus fueris quia frater tuus habet aliquid versum te, relinque ibi munus tuum ante altare; vade prius reconciliari fratri tuo et tunc veniens offeres munus tuum ante altare . If you wish to approach me, Our Lord said, and you wish to present me with your offering, go first to make peace with your brother whom you have wronged in some way; otherwise Our Lord will not accept either you or your offering. Saint Augustine stated that Si res aliena non redditur propter quam peccatum sit, cum reddi possit, paenitentia non agitur . That is to say, that God does not forgive the sin of that man who retains the property of another, if he does not return it to that person and make peace with him, that is, if he has an opportunity to effect such a return; and, if he is unable to, then he must beg his forgiveness. My brethren, money is always received gladly, but to return it is an annoyance. We read in an homily by Saint Gregory that there was a monk who, at the moment of his death, distributed all his possessions, except for two gold coins about which he forgot, and on account of those two coins he had to undergo thirty days of torment in purgatory.

And for this reason, Our Lord said, Convertimini ad me in toto corde vestro, in jejunio et fletu et planctu, et scindite corda vestra et non vestimenta vestra . Convert yourselves to me with your entire heart, by means of fasts, orations, tears and laments and by rending one's heart. He instructs us to rend our hearts so that we might remain free from wicked thoughts and from sin. Whatever the sins and errors which we have committed up to this point, we must convert ourselves to God in this Our Lord's holy Lent, by giving alms, by attending vigils, by saying prayers and by doing good deeds.

Therefore, my brethren, let us ask Our Lord's favour and mercy so that He might grant that we may carry out those good deeds which will enable us to enjoy His love when it is our time to leave this world. Quod ipse praestare dignetur qui cum Patre vivit .