When most of us think about conversion we think about Lent. We think about the theme of that season being turn away from sin and towards the Gospel. Our Lenten sacrifices are meant to lead us to focus less on the things of this passing world and more on the things of heaven. Jesus himself tells us that we should be busy storing up treasure in heaven rather than gathering the temporary things of this world. This call to conversion isn’t just about possessions but is also about our attitudes, our values, our relationships.

            Our response to the call to conversion, however, is not something we should think about only during the 40 days of Lent. In fact, conversion is a very important part of our journey through this world. It is in intentionally setting ourselves on the path of  conversion that we make progress to perfection and set a course for an eternal life in paradise.

The simplest way for us to think about conversion is as a turning away from something and towards something else. We turn away from sin, from that which temps us to sin, and we turn towards what leads us to holiness.  In an, hopefully, obvious example it might be better for us to turn away from a night of debauchery towards an hour of Eucharistic adoration. It might be better that we do not sit at that table where we know that there is a whole lot of gossip going on. Most of the time what we need to turn away from and towards will not be so obvious. This is where our conscience will be important.

Since God’s plan was not to force us to love him but to allow us to find, follow, and serve him, he endowed us with free will. He also gave us a conscience, a tiny voice, a moral compass that would help us to find our way to him. This helpful companion is first informed by our parents who work tirelessly teaching us the difference between right and wrong. As we mature, it becomes our responsibility to ensure that we continue to form our conscience in ways that lead is to avoid evil and to do good.

As adults we may find ourselves tempted by get rich schemes, by ambition, by sex, by comfort, or leisure. With a well-formed conscience we can determine what path will lead to ordinariness and what actions will help us to be holy. When we listen to the advice of a well-formed conscience, we know what we need to turn away from and what we need turn towards. When we take the time to nurture the seeds of conscience planted by our parents, our grandparents, and our mentors we set ourselves on a course to experience the Kingdom of God here and in eternity.

Conversion is both scary and hard. It will require us to leave behind what is comfortable and familiar. Conversion will, at times, mean that we delve into the unknown without a security net. Our commitment to conversion will not only mean that we leave behind stuff, but it may also require us to unfriend those who, intentionally or not, encourage us to do what we ought not.

The standard we set for ourselves when we commit to conversion is nothing less than the standard that Jesus teaches and reveals with his very own life. Turning away from sin and becoming faithful to the Gospel means that we heed Jesus’s teaching to do more than the minimum. It means that we love God and our neighbor without limits, in deed as well as word.  Conversion means that we place Jesus at the center of our lives and in all things, as Jesus did, we seek to do the will of the Father.

Along with resetting our priorities, conversion requires us to acknowledge and seek forgiveness and healing for our past sins. Through contrition and confession, we are unburdened of the weight of shame and guilt and our view of the way to perfection is made clear. Through our humbled confession of our sins, we become even more aware of what keeps us from Jesus and what draws us closer to him.

We like to think of conversion as just a Lenten practice. But in truth is that we are given the gift of life because it takes a lifetime to reach perfection. Turning away from sin and turning towards the good means that we are following the path laid out for us by Jesus Christ. While we know this path will lead to Good Friday, we are unafraid because we know that Good Friday is a day, but Easter Sunday is forever…