Sharing the Word

In teaching us his prayer, Jesus is calling us to be a certain kind of person--a person who reverences God, who acknowledges dependence on God, who knows that we need to receive and to offer forgiveness.

Psalm 19 uses a wide vocabulary to praise God’s Law. The Lord’s directives are essential for our lives. We need his words for access to the Spirit and to life.

In response to Jesus’ call, Levi gave up everything he had. We are all spiritually infirm. To a greater or lesser extent we all need to be converted to Jesus as Levi was.

Part of the process of conversion is to look into our hearts and see to what extent we are possessed by Christ, and to what extent we are still called to open ourselves to a deeper relationship with him.

Jesus tells his disciples that conversion involves giving up our personal agenda and buying into his agenda. He tells us to take up his cross and follow him.

During Lent the Church proposes a whole spiritual program whose purpose is to bring us closer to God--to lead us to conversion, to a change of heart, to a deepened relationship with God.