and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. I am a person who functions with an implicit trust in God’s loving mercy and with awe before his many works. I believe that we have been given much and it is our duty to act as co-creators with the Father. I sense that in the same way that God would not forsake the people of Zion, God will not forsake us. There are times of trial and challenge, but these help form us into who we are. I am not someone who feels that we can sit back and we will be taken care of. I am comforted by the words of the first reading. I hear a God reassuring us that although we have been through hard times, we will be able to persevere. Depending on where we live, the economic times leaves us with the felling that either things are improving slowly or are adjusting with some pain to the new realities of cost-cutting measures. I see many people profoundly tested by the current economic situation. I also see those who experience God’s presence and who continue striving in their roles supporting God’s creation are better able to weather these challenges. We can be tempted to give up. We can ask what is worth this effort. A gift that Lent offers is the time to focus on what is really important. We need to use this season to identify what impedes our progress in the directions that truly matter. I have come to view Lent not as time for giving something up as penance, but rather as a time for abandoning the things that hold me back from being what I could and should be. I view Lent as a time for reverent discernment and a time for active response. We have been gifted with many Lenten traditions. People can, with right reason, consider many ways for living out these forty days. I can connect with today’s Gospel. Jesus’ action of curing on the Sabbath was not in line with those who had certain interpretation of Scripture. Jesus acts from the heart following His understanding of the Father’s call to service. My prayer today is for remembering to take the time to listen to the Father’s call. I pray for the ability to identify the Father’s will. I pray for strength to respond to the call. I ask for assistance in freeing myself from the impediments on that path. I finally pray in gratitude for the reassurance that an implicit trust can provide. |