Not Home. Come Home.

Ash Wednesday reminds us of our mortality and dependence on God. The ashes marked on our foreheads summon us to offer up each of our days in humility and hope, entrusting ourselves to the mercies of God. We offer ourselves through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—sacred and historic practices that open our hearts to God’s grace.

This year’s M25i's Lenten focus on HOME explores how almsgiving—sharing our time, resources, and care—can bring God’s love to those who cry out with the ache of “not home.”

Scripture reveals God’s heart for this deep belonging that we define as "home." Abraham journeyed in faith toward a home God would show him. Israel’s exodus delivered them into God’s promised land. Jesus lived in the tension of "not home," saying, “The Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” Yet, he daily created spaces of belonging and invited the weary to rest in him. This Lent, we will reflect on this same tension: knowing we are always at home in God, though we do not always experience "home" in the here and now.

There are many vulnerable people in our communities who live with the ache of “not home.” Jesus himself identifies with these groups: the homeless, the refugee, the hungry, the imprisoned, the sick, and the marginalized. Lent calls us to see these neighbors as Christ does and respond with generosity, offering them a glimpse of the home God intends for all. The Lenten practice of almsgiving moves us from mere reflection to tangible action. More than charity, almsgiving is an act of justice that restores dignity to the displaced, broken, and forgotten.

Each week in this series will highlight a dimension of “home”—being known, tended to, safe, and having agency. We will explore ways to shelter the homeless, create belonging for abandoned youth, care for the elderly and dying, and offer hope to the displaced. As we journey from ashes to Easter, may we respond to God’s call to love, serve, and create home for others, answering His invitation: “Not home? …Come home.”