Now Is The Time

In her welcome, Head of School Dr. Fadia Hefni Desmond ’90 reminded the community that Lent is for all of us. While rooted in Catholic tradition, this season of reflection and intention resonates beyond any single faith. In a school as inclusive as ours—one that embraces families of many faith backgrounds—this season invites each of us to pause and examine how we are living, how we are loving, and how we are contributing to the world around us. Rather than viewing Lent only through the lens of sacrifice, she reframed it as an invitation—an invitation to grow in purpose, to act with greater compassion, and to live more generously.

She read the prayer often attributed to Pope Francis, “The Fast Life,” as a practical, accessible, and powerful way to step into that invitation:

This vision of Lent is not about small external changes, shifting the focus from what we are “giving up” to who we are becoming. 

Presiding over Mass, Fr. Marc Reeves deepened that call. In his Homily, he shared a powerful experience celebrating Ash Wednesday at a migrant shelter with families who had very little in Mexico. The traditional pillars of Lent—fasting, prayer, and almsgiving—took on new meaning in that space. 

The people gathered there did not need to be told to fast. They were already going without. They didn’t have extra to give away. But their prayers, spoken out loud and from the heart, revealed something deeper: their radical dependence on God.

The prophet Joel calls us to “return to the Lord with your whole heart.” Lent is not about surface adjustments. It is about wholehearted return.

Fr. Marc echoed St. Paul’s reminder that conversion is not for another day; now is the time. Now is the time to see in every person—without exception—a beloved child of God, created in God’s image and likeness.

That call aligns beautifully with who we strive to be at Marymount: a community that forms young women not only in intellect, but in empathy; not only in excellence, but in dignity and love for the human family.

Our student leaders in Campus Ministry prepared the liturgy with thoughtfulness and care. And our choir’s music lifted the Terry Leavy Lemons Pavilion in a way that words alone cannot. Their harmonies created space for reflection and for gratitude.

While Ash Wednesday leaves a visible mark on our foreheads, its deeper mark is meant to be carried in how we live. May this season draw us closer—to God, to one another, and to the inherent dignity present in every human life.

Now is the time.