Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
“Take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen…” (Deuteronomy 4:9)
The gift of God’s revelation in Scripture and Tradition is perhaps what we have the greatest reason for cherishing. The words spoken from the heart, expressing love for another, speaking to another about one’s inner life: these are the greatest things someone can share. These are what God shares with us communally as His Church, and with each of us individually.
That is why Moses is so keen on stressing the importance of the Lord’s decrees. It is why Jesus, too, emphasizes the continuing importance of the commandments. In them we see not mere rules, but God’s concern for us. In them we do not see the decrees of a ruler who seeks to burden his people, but the hand of the Father who seeks to lead us back to Himself.
As we seek God’s aid in keeping the commandments and our Lord’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, may we seek especially the grace to remember how His Word has helped us to live with true joy. And let us look around to see whom the Lord is calling us to witness to His goodness in our lives.