Now is the favourable time:
this is the day of salvation. 2 COR 6:2
LEVITICUS 19:1-2,11-18
My Soul's Beloved,
If the world took to heart the Word of God, the command of the Most High, and lived it faithfully, earth would be paradise and the Kingdom would be among us. Sadly, this is as far from the reality as east is from west.
But this we can do, Lord, we who hear these words, who read them, who listen to them, can receive God's instructions on how to live a full and bountiful life, and make them our own. This Lenten Season, grant me the grace to know that the only person I can change is myself. May I begin today, this hour, this moment and by the end of this blessed season, with Your help, I will make a start in becoming the person I was created to be and no longer the small, vindictive, critical, hypocrite, unloving, ungenerous, uncharitable, selfish creature that I presently am.
‘“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.
‘“You must not steal nor deal deceitfully or fraudulently with your neighbour. You must not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord. You must not exploit or rob your neighbour. You must not keep back the labourer’s wage until next morning. You must not curse the dumb, nor put an obstacle in the blind man’s way, but you must fear your God. I am the Lord.
‘“You must not be guilty of unjust verdicts. You must neither be partial to the little man nor overawed by the great; you must pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice. You must not slander your own people, and you must not jeopardise your neighbour’s life. I am the Lord. You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’
‘“You must not be guilty of unjust verdicts. You must neither be partial to the little man nor overawed by the great; you must pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice. You must not slander your own people, and you must not jeopardise your neighbour’s life. I am the Lord. You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’
PSALM 18(19):8-10,15
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.
May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.
MATTHEW 25:31-46
My Soul's Beloved,
My Soul's Beloved,
We were not created for isolation but to belong, first to God, then to our family, next our neighbour, and finally, the world. We are responsible for each other's well-being. The world preaches a culture of me first, me last, me always but the Way of God is contrary to the way of the world and has always been so.
We know that You graciously make us members of Your Body, this is why when You appeared to Saul and said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” And You replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. So closely do You identify Yourself with us that You consider anything good or evil done to any human being as having been to You, and today we are reminded that we will be called to account for our actions, good or bad, and will be judged strictly by You. We will either be blessed or cursed by how we have treated each other.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, while it is yet today, let me wake up from my slumber and begin anew to live as a disciple created to live with God forever. How I live today will determine where I will spend eternity. I have already wasted too much time, Lord, help me make a start today, and when You come in Your glory and separate the sheep from the goats You will place with the sheep at Your right hand and take me with You to Your Kingdom.
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
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