FRIDAY, FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
Ez 18: 21-28 Ps 130: 1-8 Mt 5: 20-26
A NEW CHANCE WITH GOD
Sometimes in life, we feel heavy inside. We feel we made mistakes, hurt others, or walked far away from God. On such days, we think, “Will God still accept me? Can I start again?” Today’s readings give us a beautiful answer: Yes. God always invites us to begin again. These readings take us from sadness to hope, from darkness to light, and from fear to peace.
In Ezekiel 18, the people of Israel were discouraged. They believed their sins had destroyed their future, and that God would reject them forever. But God speaks with kindness. He tells them that if a sinner turns away from evil and chooses good, that person will live. He does not enjoy punishing His people. What He truly wants is for every person to turn back, change their life, and come close to Him again. God’s message is very simple: “Turn back to Me, and you will live”. This shows that God’s mercy is greater than our past. The psalmist responds to God with an honest prayer. He says, “Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord”. This means he is praying from a place of pain, guilt, or sadness. But even in his low moment, he trusts that God will hear him. He says, “With You is forgiveness”. He waits for God with hope. The psalm teaches us that when we cry to God, He listens. When we feel lost, we can trust His mercy.
Jesus shows how God answers the prayer of a person who wants to return to Him. He wants a clean and loving heart. He calls us to forgive, make peace, and love one another. If we want to be close to Him, we must also be close to others in love. These readings call us to take an important step: turn back to God. No matter how far we have gone, God waits for us with open arms. We can cry from our depths and trust His mercy. We must, forgive others, and keep a peaceful heart. When we do this, God gives us a fresh start, new hope, and true peace during this Lenten season.
Response: If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?
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