COLLECT: “PROMPT OUR ACTIONS WITH YOUR INSPIRATION, WE PRAY, O LORD, AND FURTHEM 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, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Deut 30:15-20; Ps 1:1-4,6 and Lk 9:22-25.
In today’s portion of the Book of Deuteronomy (30:15-20), we reflect on how Moses sets before Israel blessings and life as against curses and death. He tells them to choose between the two. Of course, whichever way they choose, they will be responsible for any outcome. In the portion we reflect from the Gospel of St. Luke (9:22-25), Jesus talks about his impending rejection, suffering, death and resurrection. He also cautions his disciples about the need to carry their crosses daily and follow him, they should prepare to suffer for his sake.
The season of Lent is a period of making choices. Lent is God’s own appointed time and moment, his acceptable time given to us to either choose to come back to him and have life and his blessings, or not to come back to him and curses and death will follow us. Remember, sin kills our spiritual lives and makes us dead people. But when we are forgiven by God we regain our spiritual lives.
In this grace/spirit-filled season of Lent, we are encouraged to make sacrifices, sacrificing our carnal and sinful desires on the altar of mortification, renewal and transformation of self (body and soul). We are to exercise the spirit of self-denial and detachment from inordinate love and attachment for the world and material things. Doing all these will be like crushing or grinding ourselves in the press to bring out the best grain (wheat) in us. Or it will be like burning ourselves like gold or silver in the furnace in order to be pure believers (pure gold and silver). But this way leads to life and not death, it leads to blessings, not curses.
Choosing to do all the above will certainly not be an easy way. Choosing this way is characterised by challenges and hardships but it eventually leads to life eternal. The challenges and hardships one encounters on the way to life are what Jesus terms as crosses one must carry after him to save one’s life. Jesus himself chose and went this way of life. He faced and underwent temptations though he did not fall into them, he encountered challenges, hardships, persecutions and even death on the cross.
The spirit of faithful endurance is paramount on the way to life otherwise it is not possible to follow it. As we choose to go the way of life and blessings during this season of Lent, to fast from our wrong and evil deeds, to be more intent on prayer, to carry out more works of charity, we should remind ourselves that this is the time the evil one will also be on us more with its empty and vain promises to lure us into more temptations and evil deeds. We need to stand firm in keeping what we choose to do otherwise we will not succeed. May we not follow the counsel of the wicked, nor walk in the way of sinners, nor sit in the company of the insolent. But may we, during this Lenten Season, delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on his law, day and night and be blessed (Cf. Ps 1:1ff). Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, THURSDAY, ON THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT: ‘THE BAPTISM OF JESUS, THE WEDDING AT CANA, THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM, THE TRANSFIGURATION, AND THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST’. (WE PRAY FOR OPENNESS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, PRAY TO JESUS THROUGH MARY, FOR REPENTANCE AND TRUST IN GOD, THE DESIRE FOR HOLINESS, AND WE PRAY FOR THE SPIRIT OF ADORATION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “HAVING RECEIVED THE BLESSING OF YOUR HEAVENLY GIFTS, WE HUMBLY BESEECH YOU, ALMIGHTY GOD, THAT THEY MAY ALWAYS BE FOR US A SOURCE BOTH OF PARDON AND OF SALVATION. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.
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