MY LOVE MESSAGE TO YOU IN THIS LENTEN SEASON.
How can the young remain sinless?
(Psalm 119:9)
This Lenten period is a period we
all are expected to learn the virtue of remaining sinless both for the young
and for the old. It is not all about promising to suffer our flesh during this Lenten
season, it is about the result of the suffering and sacrifices. Some fast now
but the object of their fasting, they are keeping them waiting for Easter Sunday
to recover all of them. When you fast now, know that you do not supposed to
recover it again rather when the fasting is over, you continue with the good things
around. Take up the good things, do not look back on the things that have
passed. Forget the things of the past and remember them no more (Isaiah 43:18).
They are few things we have to know, they are: Continue Reading..................
1. Planned Sin: Someone fast from
food, drinks and does all sort of mortifications but still on that same state
plan how to commit one or two sins. This year’s Ash Wednesday fell on the Valentine’s
Day, God must have suffered on that day. Some before now, made serious
resolutions that they will try to keep themselves Holy this Lenten season but
they planned and acted out one sin or the other on the very day Lent started,
they did one thing or the other that does or do not promote holiness of life. This
is the most sacred time in the history of the church we have to keep it holy. We
are to live beyond planned sins. That devil beating that decisive drum beside
you, please ask it to stop and go. Every plan of sin in this Lenten season
should be touched in order to get the necessary graces of this season and after
this season. Every planned sins should be cancelled. No matter what it will
take from you, it is the highest suffering, fasting and mortification you will
or can do. If it is planned with anyone, try to bring that person or persons to
God than taking them away from God through that sin. That robbing, killing, adultery,
fornication, cheating, gossip, envy, evil talk, insult and all other sins
planned can be replaced with many other virtues in this life.
2. Already in it: If you are already
in it, all hopes are not lost. There are many ways to return to the Lord. Just try
hard and forgive yourself and seek for God’s forgiveness. Do not allow the sin
to tire you down and control you. The problem some normally have is, we
sometimes make Judas Iscariot our role model. What do I mean? We will commit a
sin or sins, instead of forgiving ourselves and going back to God, we will
conclude that, there is no hope and for that, we continue to wallow in sin. There
is still hope, no matter what. Our God is the God of mercy of compassion, slow
to anger and abounding in love and charity (Psalm 145:8). He is ever ready to
welcome us anytime, any day we decide to go back to him. Stand up now and leave
that your old self (it is still early), take up now a new self in Christ that
is pleasing to God. It can pain or it pains but the joy that follows it is far
better than the pain or the sorrow that you will pass through. St. Augustine regretted
knowing him late. We have every opportunity to know him now both early and
late. For, God ten thousand years are like a day (2Peter 3:8). It is only for
us that it is late but for him, it is never late. What you will pass through and
are passing through, the community of you brethren throughout the world is
undergoing it (1Peter 5:9). You are not alone in the battle.
How can the young remain sinless?
(Psalm 119:9)
Tear your heart and not your
cloth. (Joel 2:13)
It is always
easy said than done. When Lent or New Year comes, we make different ambiguous resolutions,
even the ones we know that we cannot do. It is good to make the ones you can
fulfill. Make vows to the Lord and fulfill them (Psalm 76:11). To tear the
heart, it will not bleed but something more than that. Jesus said, “I have not
come to bring peace rather strife” (Matthew 10:34). When you want to tear your
heart, you will have many problems, but all of them are and will be for the
glory of God and salvation of man, if you overcome all of them.
A short Story. A
boy was in a serious relationship with a certain girl. They have been loving
each other very well. But they have gone to the other end that they have sex at
will. It happened that the boy went to represent his elder brother in a retreat
that lasted for three days. The issues of friendship were treated very well
there. He right there made resolution that no matter what it will cost him,
that he will make amends. It happened that on the return of the boy, the
girlfriend used sex to welcome him, even when he tried to resist it, it wanted
to break the relationship and the boy fell back to it and all that he learnt
and the resolution just ended like that. It needs extra graces to tear the
heart and withstand the pain. Another similar story but with different ending. The
boy maintained his ground that he will not go back to that life and it cost him
that relationship. He willingly gave up the relationship so that he will build
a stronger relationship with God. If your right hand or left hand will cost you
your life, cut it! (Matthew 18:8)
If it is your
parents that will not allow you to tear your heart, cut them! (Not killing
them).
If it is your
brothers and sisters, cut them!
If it is your
friends, cut them!
If it is your
material things, cut them!
None of us will
go to heaven or hell with anyone or anything. It is on a personal basis. That is
what Martin Heidegger called “Authentic Death”. It is my death, your death not our
death. We came one after the other and that will be how we will return. Let us
in this Lenten season tear out the evils in our hearts and embrace God’s
forgiveness, mercies, love and every other good things that come from him in
this holy season and we shall be saved.
THANKS FOR
READING AND PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE.
YOURS LOVELY
TOBE EZE.
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