Reflecting on the Word

By Rev. James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R.

You rarely hear anyone use the word “hellbent” these days, but it could easily  be used to describe the Jewish people before the Babylonian empire destroyed  their capital city of Jerusalem in 587 B.C., along with the temple, and then sent  its people into exile. Second Chronicles tells a sad story: Judah’s princes, priests,  and people had all turned away from the Lord. They had become a people hell bent on self-destruction. So finally, the Lord cut them loose. 

Of course, the story does not end there. A new dawn comes with the ascendan cy of the Persian empire under its leader Cyrus, who looked more kindly on the  Jewish people, allowing them to return home to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.  And we are reminded that the hand of a merciful God is behind this. 

Ephesians also speaks of a God rich in mercy, who loved us “even when were  dead in our transgressions,” and who “brought us to life with Christ . . . raised us  up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians  2:5–6, 10). For the author of Ephesians this has already happened. It might not  feel that way to us much of the time, but faith calls us to see ourselves as “God’s  handiwork, created in Christ Jesus.” 

Imagine if we tried living out of that vision for the coming week! Imagine if we  really took seriously that God truly loved the world so much that “he gave his only  Son” to bring us all eternal life (see John 3:16)

Consider/Discuss

  • Do you recognize God as a God of unending mercy who loves us—all  of us? 
  • How can this Lent be a season of conversion for the whole community? 

Responding to the Word

Merciful God, you sent your Son to bring us to the fullness of life, now and  hereafter. May this season of Lent be a time when we recognize increasingly what  it means to choose to live in the light of Christ. Give us the courage to do so each  day.

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