MONDAY 1ST WEEK
John-Paul Heil C ‘15

Discovering God’s Will through Lent

“Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.” Leviticus 19: 1-2

These readings today from Leviticus, coupled with the Gospel message, reflect several important facets of this new Lenten season which could be easily overlooked. Though Lent is considered by many as a time of penitence (and rightly so, as it is), merely sacrificing and fasting is not the true purpose of Lent. Lent's true purpose is to serve as a time of spiritual renewal and is meant to inspire a real change in our lives so that we may better follow the path on which Our Lord wishes us to travel. To only sacrifice blindly, without any intention of self-improvement, is to miss the message of Lent, and by extension, the message of Easter.

This subject of change to fit God's will rather than our own is one that is exemplified in today's readings. In the first reading, God details to Moses how the Chosen People (and by extension, we as Christians today) should live in accordance with God's laws, how we should turn from our sinful ways and embrace the will of God. The Psalm tells us of the goodness of God and the graces that we will be bestowed on us if we follow Him, while the Gospel warns us what will happen if we do not follow His commands and place ourselves before His will. Let us pray that this Lenten season might serve as a time of spiritual renewal and may inspire in us a chance to follow God no matter what may stand in our way.

Heavenly Father, please grant us the strength and humility to accept Your will
in our lives, and that this Lent might change our lives to better suit Your plan for us. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lv 19: 1-2, 11-18, Ps 19: 8,9,10-15, M t 25: 31-46