Elija Mission

Our Lenten itinerary today presents us with a supplicatory prayer from the prophet Daniel, who was very clear about the reason why Jerusalem had fallen into ruin.

“Lord our God (…), who didst bring thy people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast made thee a name, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. O Lord, according to all thy righteous acts, let thy anger and thy wrath turn away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy hill; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people have become a byword among all who are round about us. Now therefore, O our God, hearken to the prayer of thy servant and to his supplications, and for thy own sake, O Lord, cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline thy ear and hear; open thy eyes and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name; for we do not present our supplications before thee on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of thy great mercy.  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, give heed and act; delay not, for thy own sake, O my God, because thy city and thy people are called by thy name.” (Dan 9:15–19).

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1 Thess 4:1–7

Finally, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not know God; that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we solemnly forewarned you. For God has not called us for uncleanness, but in holiness. Read More

In today’s reading (1 Thessalonians 5:14–23), we hear St. Paul’s instructions to the community of Thessalonica on how they should live so that God’s peace may reign among them and so that their whole being may be kept blameless “at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 23) Today we will focus on three of the various exhortations that the Apostle addresses to the Thessalonians:

• “Rejoice always” (v. 16).
• “Pray constantly” (v. 17).
• “Give thanks in all circumstances” (v. 18).

“Rejoice always.”

Certainly, this is not a sentimental joy. However beautiful that may be, it can quickly fade and be replaced by other feelings. St. Paul must instead be referring to a spiritual joy: joy in God. By remembering every day that God loves us, we can find deep and lasting joy—especially when we realize that He does not withdraw His love even when we are weak and fall short of what we had set out to do. God has said an irrevocable “yes” to our lives, with which we can face the various “no’s” we encounter within and outside ourselves.

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In today’s reading (Ezekiel 18:20–28), the Lord faces a dispute with His people, who accuse Him of being unjust. What is the reason? The Lord explains:

“But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does the same abominable things that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds which he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, he shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:21–24)

Obviously, the Jews did not agree with these statements, for the Lord says through the prophet: “Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?” (Ezekiel 18:29)

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Today, in our Lenten journey, we are first presented with a reading from the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 18:1–9). In it, the Lord wants to clarify a false conception that was evidently held by the people of Israel and expressed in erroneous thoughts and proverbs: “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?” (v. 2).

The Lord makes it clear that He does not want to hear such words in Israel again and that each person is responsible for his or her own actions: “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins shall die.” (v. 4). God then tells us how we should live to please Him, and we can summarize this in verse 9: “If a man walks in my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances—he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord God.”

This passage offers us important guidance today as well. At times, we may run the risk of giving too much weight to the intergenerational legacies we carry with us. It would be a grave mistake to blame them for all our wrongdoings and use them as an excuse to justify a life contrary to God’s Law.

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In today’s two readings (Ex 24:12–18 and 1 Kgs 19:3–8), we encounter the two great prophets of the Old Covenant. On the one hand, there is Moses, who freed the people of Israel from the yoke of the Egyptian pharaoh and led them through the desert on behalf of the Lord. God has great plans for Moses. He calls him to climb Mount Sinai and says to him: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tables of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’”  (Ex 24:12).

Moses obeyed, and when the glory of the Lord appeared on the summit like a consuming fire, he climbed the mountain, where he remained “forty days and forty nights” (v. 18).

A decisive event was about to take place, for which God prepared Moses during that time, introducing him even more deeply into the mission He had entrusted to him.

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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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