GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
DATE: 1ST MARCH 2017
ASH WEDNESDAY
1ST READING: Joel 2:12-18
PSALM: Psalm 51:3-6, 12-14, 17
2ND READING: 2Corinthians 5:20-6:2
GOSPEL: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
THEME: THE BATTLE HAS BEGUN
The Opening Prayer (collect) at Mass today reads, “Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint…”
The above prayer sets the tone for the season of Lent which commences today. For the next forty days, the Church invites us to engage in a spiritual warfare with the evils that lurk inside our hearts – selfish inclinations and besetting sins.
Like the king of Nineveh who rose from his throne and sat in ashes upon hearing the message — “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (cf. Jonah 3:4ff) — we too mark ourselves with ashes as a sign of our readiness to repent.
Some of us may have gone very far away from God and steeped ourselves in sin but Lent offers us the opportunity to be reconciled with God (cf. 2Cor. 5:20).
In taking the first step of repentance, we are consoled by the Word of the Lord in today’s First Reading, “Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing” (Joel 2:13).
Spiritual warfare needs spiritual and not carnal weapons. Consequently, our Gospel text for today proposes to us three indispensable spiritual weapons that will do the job, namely, PRAYER, FASTING and ALMSGIVING.
In making use of the above weapons, our Gospel text warns us against vanity and boastful public display. Like an embryo of a seed that emerges out of its protective coat and shoots upward from the soil without making noise, our spiritual growth ought to be evident during this season of Lent without much “noise”.
It is only when we have conquered the evils within our hearts that we would find ourselves well-positioned to conquer the evils around us.
The battle has begun; onward Christian soldiers. Let each one of us be brave and march into war, conquering every sin that has made a slave out of us.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, by the power of your Spirit and through the Lenten exercise of penance and charity, may I find the strength to turn away from all harmful pleasures and grow in holiness. Amen
Andrews Obeng, svd
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)
“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen).