Fr Antony Christy, SDB –
THE WORD IN LENT – Tuesday, Second Week
February 27, 2024 – Isaiah 1:10, 16-20; Matthew 23: 1-12
Through the desert God leads us to Freedom… and this true freedom does not come easy! It takes a serious and sincere discernment to arrive at it. Yesterday we reflected on how the desert helps us towards self-realisation, in order that we may progress towards true freedom that God wishes to offer us. The truth is, not that God merely wishes to offer us that freedom, but is ready to collaborate with us in our progress towards it.
‘Come let us talk it over’, the Lord invites us – an offer to accompany us, to help us and to educate us in our discernment of the right choices in our life. Jesus clarifies the same, but with a note further. He says, it is not enough to know what is right and what is desirable, one has to make a sincere effort to convert that knowledge into conviction and that conviction into life. That takes a serious and sincere discernment, as we said earlier.
There are those of us who know what is right and what is wrong, in fact, by God’s grace all of us do! All of us are given innumerable means to know and understand what is right and what is desirable. The law that is taught, the right and wrong that we are cultured into, and above all, the conscience that dialogues with us from within: come let us talk it over, says the Lord and the Lord continues to do that from within us. Don’t we hear that voice every time we are about to make a choice – that something is right or that something is wrong! How attentive are we?
There are those of us who know, but are not convinced; we hear the voice within but do not feel like, or do not want to commit ourselves to, obeying it. We find excuses, justifications, complaints, and reservations to avoid the hard choices we are expected to make at times in life! How we miss or how much we neglect the accompaniment and assistance that God wishes to offer us in those moments – for anyone who humbles oneself, shall be exalted. If we cry out to God for help, the Lord is there just beside us to hold our hands firm!
There are those of us who know, who struggle, who fail and falter, but we are determined to continue our journey towards that ideal set before us! We are assured of God’s nearness – if you are willing to obey, you shall experience the good things of life – the Word promises us today. All that we need to do is decide to hear the Word, listen to the Lord and engage with the Lord in a sincere discernment, and we shall be on our way to true freedom!
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He holds doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him on.