Friday of the First Week of Lent - February 26, 2021

Ezekiel 18:21-28 Matthew 5:20-26

As a mother of five young kids, there seem to be eyes on me at all times. I tend to be very hard on myself, constantly questioning my decisions and how they will play out for myself and my family down the road. When Lent rolls around every year, I like to think of it as a hard reset, a time to set new goals, grow deeper in my relationship with the Lord, develop new good habits, and, at long last, ditch those bad ones. So I’m not going to lie, when I read this fi rst reading, I had to swallow the lump in my throat and press on.

“None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die.” 

Well, shoot! What happened to that really good day I had on Monday!? I guess my sins of Tuesday wiped them all away? There go my chances of getting into heaven.

But it wasn’t until I finished all the readings that I realized there was a common theme. God is forgiving. He doesn’t judge or condemn me. As a cradle Catholic, this isn’t a new or complicated message. However, when I feel I’ve failed myself or my family, this message can be so powerful and humbling: “For with the LORD is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption.”

God knows I am going to fail. God knows I am going to make mistakes, and yet he gives me grace because he wants me to get to heaven. It’s such an easy lesson to teach my young children, and yet as an adult, especially with so many eyes on me, it can sometimes feel to sin is to fail myself as well as my kids. Aiming for perfection is not the answer. Rather, I aim to make myself a new heart and a new spirit everyday, and starting each day with an openness to the Lord and His love draws me nearer to Him.

Q: Can you forgive yourself today and find God’s grace in your imperfections?

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