40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday in the First Week of Lent, 23 February 2024
Ezekiel 18:21-28 <*[[[[>< + + + ><]]]]*> Matthew 5:20-26
As we come to close
the first week of Lent today,
your words in our Responsorial Psalm
are so true, O God because nothing
can be hidden from you,
“If you, O Lord, mark iniquities,
who can stand?”
Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
Matthew 5:23-24
When does a "brother has
anything against us", Lord Jesus?
The Filipino translation
“kung may sama ng loob
sa iyo ang iyong kapatid”
implies the problem lies
with the brother, not us;
but, here you are telling us
we are the offender,
who are obliged,
even ought to be
“reconciled with him first
then offer your gift”
as we are the guilty one!
Forgive us for acting
immaturely clean and innocent
when our feuds and animosities
with others are due to our pretending
to be the offended ones
when in fact,
we are the offender.
Let us get real with ourselves
beginning this Lent
for we can never fool you,
God our Father.
“When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if the wicked, turning from wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”
Ezekiel 18:26-28
Thank you dear Father
for being true with us always
that we may also get real
with you and everybody else.
Amen.
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