Wednesday of the 3rd week of Lent year A
Theme: The commandments
In the 1st reading of today from the Book of Deuteronomy, we see Moses admonishing the Israelites to keep the statutes and ordinances of the God that he taught them, that they may live. To build a good relationship with God, we must make effort to keep his commandments as a guide in our daily life. There is no society or group that will thrive without a rule or law to guide them. A society without any law to guide the people will experience what Thomas Hobbs referred to as the state of nature. There will be chaos and problems in such a society. That is why as Christians we must make effort to adhere to the admonition of Moses in todays 1st reading, by striving to put the commandments of God into practice in our daily life. Remember that the practicing of the commandment of God is not automatic, but rather a process; so, do not be discouraged if you do not attain your desired perfection as soon as you want it. The most important thing is that you are not stagnant, there is movement and growth. The more we can push ourselves to practice the commandments of God in our daily lives, the better persons we will become. Like I always say, it is never too late for us to make effort to do the right thing and become a better person.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, the season of Lent presents us the opportunity to practice the imperatives of the gospel in our daily life. We can begin our journey of transformation by practicing the love of our neighbours. This is a season of selflessness and charity. You are encouraged to be charitable during this season of Lent, not only with tangible things, but also with our words. Be mindful of the things you say about other people, especially when you know you are not sure about it. If we can allow love to guide us in our relationship with other people, we are already on the right path towards obeying the commandments of God. This is very important in our world today because people are becoming increasingly self-centered and are ready to do anything to achieve their selfish desires.
In the gospel reading, Jesus also points out the importance of the law when he said that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfil the law. He went further by saying that he who keeps them will be considered great in heaven, while those who relax one of the laws and teach others to do same, will be considered least in the kingdom of heaven. My brothers and sisters in Christ, the choice is yours to make. May almighty God bless you in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.