The heart is thought to be the center of the person, the place of emotions, desires, and intentions. There's we will find the desire for renewal and a “clean heart.” It’s our desire for a new start, to “clean up our act” and to have good intentions and desires. Falling short and making mistakes is part of being human, so we can sometimes feel like failures. The really good news here, however, is that with God’s help a new start is possible. We can shine again with God’s love and start afresh. The secret is to join our desire for renewal with the overwhelming love God has for us, letting it seep in and clearing a space in our hearts.  Brendan McManus SJ

It is the grace of God that motivates and sustains us in our desire to have a heart renewed according to the will of God for us. Our human tendency is to fail and to seek the easier path of ease and comfort. That is the broad road Jesus talks about. Seeking a clean heart, allowing the word of God to break down the hardness of our hearts is to follow the narrow road that leads to a fuller life in Christ. God desires to renew our hearts. He waits for our submission to his plan, our trust in his love and mercy, the willingness to embrace in faith what looks impossible. It begins with "yes" to God in the moment.