Greetings, brothers and sisters. Today’s readings give us another view into our way of repentance, especially during this holy season of Lent. Let us reflect on two things: the Lord’s Mercy and His Judgment.
We learn from both the prophet Ezekiel and the Psalms that the mercy of God is plenteous. He forgives the sins from a sincerely contrite person without limit. None of the sins committed shall be remembered against him because the Lord rejoices in a right and just heart turned from its wickedness. We see this played out in a similar way in the story of the Parable of the Lost Son where the poor actions of the son were overlooked because of the son’s change of heart.
Setting the Bar High
Yet, the Lord sets the bar high for the repentant heart. We should be meticulous in taking account of our sins. We are called to go deeper to the root cause or temptation that leads to that sin and weed it out. This examination that we undertake should be done in the light of reuniting ourselves with God wholeheartedly. This means settling all petty squabbles and major offenses to the ones we interact with on a regular basis because our forgiveness is tied to the degree of mercy we show to our neighbors. It is very clear from the Lord’s prayer that we petition that He forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
In closing, take this day and this Lenten season to weed out those sins that put us at odds with our spouses, siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, pastors, deacons, neighbors, coworkers, managers, direct reports, restaurant servers, cashiers, customers and so on.
Blessings.
