The prophet Ezekiel, in the first reading of today, announces an extraordinary outpouring of the Spirit, whereby the Lord pours out in the hearts of the people a feeling of sincere repentance for their sins (Ez 36:25). And a passionate search for the divine will. The vertex of the passage is at vv. 26f, in which the gift of “a new spirit” is promised, as an interior principle of activity. And of “a new heart”, that is, a new attitude of human freedom. The prophecy, therefore, envisages a profound anthropological renewal, for which Israel will experience an unconditional esteem and respect for divine realities and an integral adherence to the will of the Lord, made manifest in his laws. The transformation does not proceed from an initiative of the people. But from the foreseeing divine decision to make them capable, through the infusion of this new spirit, to observe all the commandments of the Lord. And to re-establish the pact made with the fathers at Sinai.
To Love
Our God promises us “a new heart”, “a heart of flesh” (v. 26): He, who understands love, since he is its Inventor and Principal, makes an extraordinary bet on our ability to love Him sincerely. And that is that we allow ourselves to be rid of the “heart of stone”. To tell the truth, we can sometimes care and stick a lot to our heart of stone, when we “speak badly” of ourselves. “I am like this, there is nothing to do.” “It comes naturally to me to use sex, and relationships with others for my own selfish gratification and consumption.” “I can’t help it with my ugly character, I’m just like that”! This is feeding our heart of stone and not giving room to a change. It is the heart of stone, hardened in doing evil. And not so much evil in general, but that evil that comes spontaneously to me. That evil, which is convenient for me to do. That seems good to me. And gradually it becomes part of me that I cannot help it!
The Center of the Self
The heart, according to the Bible, is the center of the self. The engine of human freedom. The decision-making pole. The more we “trivialize” evil, the more the heart hardens. That is, it seems to us that we cannot do otherwise. But God today asks us to let ourselves change, and that is to want to be determined not to be obstinate in evil: He does the rest for us, according to his promise. A heart of flesh is a truly human heart, but a heart of stone is a slave to sin.
The Gospel of today speaks of an invitation to a wedding feast, a sign of the Kingdom of Heaven. Those who were invited refuse to participate, because they stick to their heart of stone, and others taken from the street are summoned, almost indiscriminately. However, these too are asked, as a condition for participating in the party, to have the wedding dress. Obviously, this is not just an ordinary external dress, but to have that inner predisposition that allows you to participate in the party you are invited to. This inner predisposition is a new spirit and a heart of flesh, a change of character.
Action Required
Today try to stop a habit of yours that you think is “stronger than you”. You will find that the Groom will do the rest.
Dear Fr. JohnBosco Obiako, I found this daily reflection very inspiring. May God mould my heart through His H.S.
May God encourage you daily in your ministry in Prato, in Italy, in Europe, in the world.
All the best from
Alberto
Thank you, Alberto.
God’s grace is abundant for us.