Thursday of the Third Week

Reflection
What God asks of us seems simple enough. He wants us to be His people and to listen and follow His words. Yet at every turn, we seem to stray and harden our hearts. He asks for commitment, but we just cannot seem to make it. As Jesus is ridding people of demons in the Gospel, He says, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

What the Lord is asking is for commitment, a major component of Lent. He does not want us to have selective hearing when we hear God’s word, pick and choosing carefully the parts we want to follow. Rather, He wants us to commit with our whole hearts, to take up our cross and follow Him. Lent reminds us of the role of commitment and sacrifice in our journey in Jesus’ footsteps, and we are comforted in the knowledge that Jesus will walk alongside us.

Lent repeats God’s call for us to open our hearts and listen. We must truly hear God’s words and act on them. It is okay if we start with baby steps, with smaller commitments, as long as we are taking those steps closer to God instead of away from Him.
 

Prayer 
Lord, help us to hear Your voice and to be filled with the faith and the strength to commit ourselves to You.

Rebecca Rouleau, ’18

 

 

Scripture

First Reading: Jeremiah 7:23-28

Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9
Gospel: Luke 11:14-23

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website