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March 15, 2019Today's First Reading (Ez 18:21-28) encapsulates God's Infinite Love and Forgiveness: "Thus says the Lord God: Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live?" This scripture passage reminds us of the father in Our Lord's Parable of the Prodigal Son, which is so familiar to us. We cannot help but marvel at the immediacy of the father's unconditional forgiveness of his son, as he returns home to his father. This, despite the corrupt lifestyle led by the son, "financed" and squandered by the son's inheritance from his father's own property, no less. And yet, this immediacy of forgiveness by the father, along with his immense joy at seeing his son return from his evil way, describes well "the Lord's way," when He rejoices when we choose to turn from our evil ways (Ez 18:21-29).
The Holy Season of Lent is a time for us to "be reconciled with [our] brother," before offering our gift at the Divine Altar of God (Mt 5:20-26). God fills our souls ceaselessly with His Abundant Graces. Lent daily affords us numerous opportunities for spiritual renewal and growth in holiness. We should choose prayerfully to respond well to such Graces, so that we may make for ourselves "a new heart and a new spirit" (Ez 18:31). St. Augustine reminds us in his Confessions: "You [God] have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in You." Let us, therefore, turn to the Lord daily, placing our hearts in the bosom of God, knowing that "with the Lord is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption" (Ps 130). He stands ready to embrace us, every time we choose to turn from our evil ways. He is anxious and ready to forgive us, always.
