Friday of the First Week of Lent
(Ezekiel 18:21-28; Matthew 5:20-26)
Children in parochial schools often had problems with today’s
first reading. They reasoned that it is
wrong to condemn someone who has lived his whole life doing good and then makes
a small error. Perhaps they did not
understand what is at the basis of the good and bad behavior.
God calls all people to a relationship with himself. With each good deed and with each prayer the
relationship deepens if the prayer or deed is done to please God and not just
to look good. After years of such activity,
the person should have little difficulty in achieving goodness since God is
working with her or him. At this point a corrupt action or prayer is more than a
misdeed. It is an affront to a longtime
friend.
Graciously God offers the offender opportunity to makes
amends. But if that is refused out of
pride or disdain, God cannot be called unjust for condemning the person. It is not always easy to commit a sin. The more we develop a relationship with God
by doing what is right, the less likely we are to offend Him.
