Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
In today’s first reading, the prophet Ezekiel reminds the people that it is God that makes them holy. Through its history, Israel had made some bad choices, by following foreign gods and breaking the covenantal relationship that had been their founding identity. The consequence of bad choices is both ancient and frequent, starting with the story of Adam and Eve. Throughout the Old Testament, the continuous choice away from God sounds as a continuous refrain. Against these choices, the voice of God booms the same response: I set before you life and death, choose life so that you may live. Inspired by that response, Ignatius of Loyola placed the greatest emphasis on discernment, the desire to choose those things that will take us towards God considering the many options that are available to us. Choices have consequences and we can reflect during this season of Lent on some of the choices we make and continue to develop those skills in discernment that will help us to make good decisions.