Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022912.cfm
Today's readings deal with that famous Lenten theme: repentance. Repentance is a radical reorientation of the heart from sin to God. It includes sorrow and hatred for sin with a firm purpose to live for God.
How do we get to the place where we repent? Ultimately, it is by God's transforming grace working in our hearts. But through what means does God give us his transforming grace?
I think one of the best means or channels is when we spend some time before a crucifix and God opens our eyes to see that we are to blame for the crucifixion of Christ, that we, by our sins, have laid violent hands on him and crucified him. We have to be horrified by what we have done so that we can begin to detest our sins. We have to grieve over the fact that we were wrong when we thought God was less than good to us and that it would be best for us to rebel against him to the point of killing him.
But we must not be so horrified that we lose hope, because the death we meant for evil, is the very same death God uses to save us from our sins. It's pretty awesome how God turns things around for our good!
So, from a crucifix, we see the ugliness of our sin and the unfathomable love of God for us. From these two truths, God empowers us to detest our sins and love him who has loved us so much.
May God grant us repentance this Lent.
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