Return and Live
August 18, 2012
Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Therefore I will judge
you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Turn and be converted from all your crimes, that
they may be converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt
for you. Cast away from you all the
crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new
spirit. Ezekiel 18:30-31
"Let the children
come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such
as these." Matthew 19:14
Piety
Father, recreate in us the innocent hearts we had when we
were children. Help us to turn away from
the adult wants which get in the way of our path to true friendship with you
through you Son Jesus. Send your Spirit
to make the path of return on that we can find and follow.
Study
Change.
Presence. These two themes
reverberate throughout so much of our Sacred Scripture, prayer, and
traditions. When we change the direction
in which we seek happiness, then we can obtain the true gift -- Jesus present
in our lives as a friend.
We don't need to look any further than the local newsstand
to be reminded of the kinds of hatred and corruption that seem to invade our lives
and our consciences. Our crimes may not
be murder but may be more personally rooted in the advertising-fueled desire
for money, possessions, and influence.
Ezekiel and Jesus want us to be prodigal children. They want us to turn away from these selfish
pursuits. They want us to come back to the
path they walk. With change comes the
ultimate gift -- being able to revel in the true presence of the Lord in our
lives.
Action
The first step in this journey is awareness. For the next 30 days, if you are not already
making use of some process to examine your daily life, try the Examen of Conscious
in the Jesuit tradition. Once you review
your day with humility and contrition, ask yourself: "How will I let the
Lord lead me to a brighter tomorrow?
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