Lenten Reflection for Friday, April 4 Ezekiel 33:10-16 10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’ 12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— 15 if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. 16 None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live. Reflection Following the Benedictine tradition of Lectio Divina (a “Divine Reading” not for theological, historical, or scholarly understanding of a biblical text, but for devotional edifying of one’s faith), complete the following spiritual exercise: Read the passage again—slowly, savoring each word. Meditate on the passage—lingering over words and phrases that strike you as surprising, wonderful, or challenging. Prayer Pray for God’s Holy Spirit to shed light from this passage onto your inner soul. Contemplate ways in which this passage could guide you through today.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 14:10:00 +0000
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