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Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
(February 19th)
Sin is the ultimate bondage, worse then any physical or
mental handicap. Salvation is the ultimate freedom -
freedom from the lies of the Prince of Lies; freedom to
do the will of God - which, if we search our hearts is
what we really wanted all along. The recipient of God’s
visitation usually responds: “No Lord I do not want
this”. But the Lord answers back in a round about way:
"Yes you do, that’s why I chose you. You are just
frightened. But with Me there is nothing to fear, not
the worse pain, not even the jaws of death itself."
There is only one thing to fear - the pain of loss that
is ultimate separation from God, where sin and the devil
have their ultimate triumph of despair. How will we
respond to it? Being something new has a prerequisite -
for something new to take over, something old must die-
attitudes, tendencies, excuses. To change we must be
willing to die of self. One of the pillars of the
spirituality is this dying to self, the willingness to
be stripped bare and allow the change (that only Grace
can give) to take place. The soul is stripped bare. But
then, a miracle can take place. The new self starts to
emerge - one that has a more humble grasp of reality,
one that is open to the will of God and the growth that
only God’s will can give. As time draws near to Lent we
all stand at a crossroads, we are forced to make a
choice as to which direction to go. To remain as we are
-in sin, imprisoned, imprisoning others, or to take up
our mat and walk, and become a new creation. There is
nothing to fear, everything to gain, everything to do.
If we become a new creation, others will have to follow.
Make the change then today. |
