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God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.
- St. Augustine
(Doing what you've been putting off can be an excellent Lenten discipline. What might that be at this time? What steps can you take?)
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EZ 18:21-28; Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7A, 7BC-8
MT 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you,
unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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"If the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, ...can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die." —Ezekiel 18:24
The years 2002 and 2018 were notable for the uncovering of sexual abuse scandals involving certain Roman Catholic priests. Upon hearing the breaking stories, most people reacted like God did in the above passage. Any good deeds done by these priests were forgotten. They were generally condemned by the public because they had turned from virtue to commit evil.
Most people who have experienced their spouse leaving them for another person would have a similar reaction. Most good memories of the marriage would be forgotten because the departing spouse turned from faithfulness to break the covenant.
If we humans can react like this to the bad endings of others, then we can't accuse God of being unfair when he uses a similar standard to judge us (Ez 18:25). God holds us, His children, to the highest standards of holiness and faithfulness (Mt 5:20). Yet God pours out unending supplies of grace so that we can repent and not only meet His standards, but flourish and grow in holiness (Eph 1:3).
If you are falling short of God's standards, turn back to Him (Is 45:22). "Delay not your conversion to the Lord, put it not off from day to day" (Sir 5:8). "When you have sinned, show repentance. Delay not to forsake sins, neglect it not till you are in distress" (Sir 18:20-21). "Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!" (2 Cor 6:2) Turn and return to the Lord.
Prayer: Father, I throw myself on Your mercy. Cleanse me of sin.
Promise: "With the Lord is kindness and with Him is plenteous redemption." —Ps 130:7
Presentation Ministries
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Abandonment to Divine Providence
- by Jean-Pierre de Caussade
BOOK II,
CHAPTER II. THE DUTIES OF THOSE SOULS CALLED BY GOD TO THE STATE OF ABANDONMENT
SECTION IV. God Does All for a Soul of Goodwill. The conduct of a soul raised to a state of abandonment with regard to this twofold manifestation of the good pleasure of God.
Therefore the souls in question are, by their state, both solitary and free; detached from all things in order to belong to God, to love Him in peace, and to fulfill faithfully the present duty according to His expressed will. They do not allow themselves to reflect, to neglect, nor to think of consequences, causes or reasons; it is enough for them to go on simply, accomplishing their plain duties just as if there did
not exist for them anything but their present obligation, and their duty to God. The present moment, then, is like a desert in which the soul sees only God whom it enjoys; and is only occupied about those things which He requires of it, leaving and forgetting all else, and abandoning it to Providence. This soul, like an instrument, neither receives interiorly more than the operation of God effects passively, nor gives exteriorly more than this same operation applies actively.
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