A time to draw near to God

Marcin, the proofreader of the Polish edition of The Thrill of the Chaste, offers a thought for Lent:

"During Mass on Ash Wednesday, a visiting Capuchin told us in his sermon that started a retreat session something illuminating for me. Namely, we normally start Lent promising so much change for the better. Yet it is not (most frequently unatttainable) virtues that will save us, but God, and the thing is to be as close to Him as possible. In other words, we should focus more on the relationship with God rather than on our betterment. As with the rich youth in the Gospel, he was virtuous keeping all the commandments, but his relation with God stopped halfway. Maybe such a shift of focus would really make sense, esp. if we are sick and tired of trying and failing for a thousandth time..."