Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

 Jeremiah 7:23-28     Luke 11:14-23

For today’s reflection, I chose to focus on the message in the first reading. God is telling the people to listen to Him and His instructions. The people turn away from God and are lost.

In this first reading we hear God telling us about how people were making the wrong decision by not following God and not obeying Him. He tries to send prophets to help lead the people in the right direction, but they do not listen. These people, this community is in the wrong, and it may take them time to realize. God knows this and continues to try to help them despite how they are treating him. The final lines in the reading say that their faithfulness has vanished. This sounds unimaginable and painful. I know that God will get through to them with His power and their faith will be restored.

This reading is easily related to our lives in which when we make a decision that we know will push us away from God but we continue anyway. I know we all try our best to mimic Jesus and please God each and every day, but we are all also human and will make mistakes. We know God will forgive us for our actions, but it still isn’t good to actively turn from Him with our knowing knowledge.

I know for myself personally that when I may stray from God in my actions, thoughts, or words I always try to acknowledge my faults and immediately apologize to God. The hardest part of this is realizing that you have wronged and owning up to it in your prayer.

Q: What sins have I not yet owned up to and for which I need to seek God’s forgiveness?

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