LENTEN DIGEST with Fr. PIUSRALPH

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

The Word: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 and Luke 9:22-25 

Theme: The Freedom of Choice

Reflection

In today's liturgy of the word, Moses in the first reading presents before us choice between life and prosperity, death and calamity (cf. Deut. 30:15), leaving us at the mercy of our individual choices. The same order that God gave to Jeremiah to the people (cf. Jer. 21:8).   If this were to be question thrown before us, we will all in affirmation to choose life and prosperity. None of us will long for either death or calamity. 

This admonition followed with caveat, to love God, follow His ways, and observe His commandments, statutes and norms. The same invitation the Church has placed before us this penitential season. No one is being compelled to return to God, but we are encouraging to seek for His mercy. That is why Pope St. Leo the Great in the opening paragraph of today’s Office of Readings avers: “Dearly beloved, the earth is always filled with the mercy of the Lord. For every one of us Christians nature is full of instruction that we should worship God” (Sermons of Pope St. Leo the Great, Sermon 6 on Lent, 1-2, Office of Readings for Thursday after Ash Wednesday).

Yes, God out of love sent His only begotten son to come and redeem us from the shackle of sin and reconcile us back to Him through His paschal mystery of passion, death and resurrection. 

In the light of this great love, we are all invited to re-examine our commitment which we made at baptism and re-affirm it. When we do this we will certainly become one of the Easter people, which “Alleluia” will be our song. 

PEACE BE WITH YOU!

LENTEN COMMITMENT: Spend at least 30 minutes in Eucharistic Adoratian today.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

“You cannot better appreciate your worth than by looking into the mirror of the cross of Christ; there you will learn how you are to deflate your pride, how you must mortify the desires of your flesh, how you are to pray to your Father for those who persecute you, and to commend your spirit into God’s hand." –St. Anthony of Padua

PRAYER

Prompt our actions with your inspiration, we pray, O Lord, and further them with your constant help, that all we do may always begin from you and by you be brought to completion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.