Repent, says the Lord,
for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. MT 4:17
My Soul's Beloved,
Holy Mother Church gives us this penitential season of Lent every year so we who are weak-willed, and giving into temptation all the time forgetful of Your great mercies, turn back to You once more with contrite and humble hearts. Let us take advantage of this holy season to contemplate all the wounds that were inflicted on Your Sacred Body by our sins. The sins of the flesh are the most heinous they kill the life of the Holy Spirit in us. He flees from souls who deliberately, wantonly, and willfully seek to pander to the cravings of the flesh. The more we fall into the trap of Satan the more desensitized we become to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.
Today, once again, You invite us to return to You:
Israel, come back to the Lord your God;
your iniquity was the cause of your downfall.
Say to him, ‘Take all iniquity away
so that we may have happiness again
and offer you our words of praise.’
Too long O Lord we have looked for help in all the wrong places our only hope of salvation is You. You are the one who has compassion on the poor, the sinner, the widow, and the orphan, You alone. We are the work of Your hands and when we look to You for help You will not deny it to us.
Yes, our sins have been like scarlet but You have the power to wash our souls whiter than wool. Thank You for being ever willing to forgive us when we turn to You humbly and ask You to forgive and heal our wounds. Our world is in turmoil O Lord. Have pity on us for the sake of Your faithful remnant. Turn Your blazing wrath away from us and grant us the wisdom to turn away from our wickedness. If we do, You assure us of a time of healing, restoration, and fruitfulness.
Grant us the grace to acknowledge that You alone O Lord can save us and when we do You will readily heal us. You will turn Your anger away from us and Your love, like dew will fall upon us and the words of the prophet will be fulfilled:
I will heal their disloyalty,
I will love them with all my heart,
for my anger has turned from them.
I will fall like dew on Israel.
He shall bloom like the lily,
and thrust out roots like the poplar,
his shoots will spread far;
he will have the beauty of the olive
and the fragrance of Lebanon.
They will come back to live in my shade;
they will grow corn that flourishes,
they will cultivate vines
as renowned as the wine of Helbon.
What has Ephraim to do with idols any more
when it is I who hear his prayer and care for him?
I am like a cypress ever green,
all your fruitfulness comes from me.
I will love them with all my heart,
for my anger has turned from them.
I will fall like dew on Israel.
He shall bloom like the lily,
and thrust out roots like the poplar,
his shoots will spread far;
he will have the beauty of the olive
and the fragrance of Lebanon.
They will come back to live in my shade;
they will grow corn that flourishes,
they will cultivate vines
as renowned as the wine of Helbon.
What has Ephraim to do with idols any more
when it is I who hear his prayer and care for him?
I am like a cypress ever green,
all your fruitfulness comes from me.
PSALM 80(81):6,8-11,14,17 ©
I am the Lord your God: listen to my warning.
A voice I did not know said to me:
‘I freed your shoulder from the burden;
your hands were freed from the load.
You called in distress and I saved you.
‘I answered, concealed in the storm cloud;
at the waters of Meribah I tested you.
Listen, my people, to my warning.
O Israel, if only you would heed!
Listen, my people, to my warning.
O Israel, if only you would heed!
‘Let there be no foreign god among you,
no worship of an alien god.
I am the Lord your God,
who brought you from the land of Egypt.
I am the Lord your God,
who brought you from the land of Egypt.
I am the Lord your God: listen to my warning.
‘O that my people would heed me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
But Israel I would feed with finest wheat
and fill them with honey from the rock.’
‘O that my people would heed me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
But Israel I would feed with finest wheat
and fill them with honey from the rock.’
I am the Lord your God: listen to my warning.
MARK 12:28-34 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
Not all the scribes and Pharisees were hypocrites, some loved God and kept the law, they meditated on God's Word and they applied it to their lives. This scribe who put a question to You was praised by You, how blessed he was to be assured by You that he was on the right track and not far from God's Kingdom.
We ought to go deeper into our faith not just for knowledge sake but in order to be rooted in You and in Your Word so that it has an impact on every area of our lives. Lord Jesus, Eternal Word of the Father, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit into the world and into our lives. It is He who enables us to understand and to live the Gospel. It is He who gives us the words we need to stand up and defend our faith in You.
Grant the Church O Lord a fresh outpouring of Your Holy Spirit and a new Pentecost so that the fire of Your love may envelop every heart and engulf the whole world.
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