Showing all posts by Elija

Today is the seventh day of our journey toward Holy Easter. In today’s reading, the Lord calls us to conversion:

“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Is 55:6–7).

Although we hope that our thoughts and actions never reach the point of being evil or wicked—God forbid!—we are always called to a deeper conversion and to leave behind anything that could separate us from God’s love. While we can count on His mercy and patience, the constant call to conversion is addressed to our free will, which He Himself has given us. The Lord wants our response so that He may guide us along His paths, which often differ from our own:

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Today, on the sixth day of our Lenten journey, we hear comforting words. God Himself, who is our shepherd, assures us that He will take care of His sheep. Although the words of the prophet Ezekiel in today’s reading (Ezekiel 34:11–16), in which divine goodness is manifested in a special way, are addressed primarily to the people of Israel, they also extend to all people living in dispersion. May they hear the Lord’s words of comfort:

“Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice.” (Ezekiel 34:15-16)

Here we encounter the saving will of our Father, who spares no effort to bring people back to His home. He wants to indulge them with His love, feed them in fertile pastures, and, as in the parable of the prodigal son, celebrate a great feast when one of them finds the way back to Him.

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“We entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, ‘At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation.’ Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor 6:1–2)

With this exhortation, St. Paul introduces us to the first Sunday of Lent and offers an essential guideline for advancing on the path undertaken in this time of grace. In ancient times, Lent began precisely on this Sunday. It was considered a “second gateway” to this great season of penance, after having passed through the first gateway on Ash Wednesday. If we start from the concept of the “second gate,” then we would read the following inscription in gold letters above it: “Take advantage of the time of grace.” Read More

Today, on the fourth day of our Lenten journey, the Lord—through the prophet Isaiah—again emphasizes the importance of acting justly toward our neighbor and keeping His commandments. If we do so, true peace will enter our souls, and what the reading promises will come to pass:

“You shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not (…).  then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth” (Is 58:11b, 14a).

Indeed, only righteous conduct and obedience to God’s commandments bring true peace to the human person and enable him, in turn, to become an “instrument of peace.” If we live in God’s grace—or, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, if we are a “well-watered garden”—then we will also bear good fruit. On the other hand, how could there be peace if, because of sin, we live in inner contradiction and opposition to God? That is why the call to conversion is always a priority, whether we have strayed completely from the path, do not know God, or have neglected to follow Christ and have not responded sufficiently to the grace entrusted to us.

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Today, on the third day of our Lenten journey, the readings introduce us to the themes of fasting and loving our enemies.

Fasting—and by this we mean, first and foremost, bodily fasting, which was very common in the Church in times past—is a very good and beneficial practice for our spiritual life in following Christ. Without a doubt, it is a sacrifice pleasing to God if it is accompanied by the struggle for holiness in general. The reading from the Book of Isaiah points out the frequent abuses that displeased God in the fasting practiced by His people. It is easy to understand that this practice can only be pleasing in His eyes when it is done with a sincere heart.

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