We have come to the last Mass of Lent – tomorrow, with Palm Sunday, begins Holy Week. The verse before the gospel summarizes nicely the whole Lenten dynamic: cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the Lord, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
These are very interesting and well chosen words. Lent is about taking the power of God that comes from the Holy Spirit and freely choosing to do what is right and just, what is truly pleasing to God: casting away all our crimes, so that we can make for ourselves a new heart and a new spirit: again but not without the help and grace of Jesus and his Spirit.
At this point, hopefully, we have cast from us more than we ever have, and our hearts are newer and the Spirit more active and fresh within us so that the events of Holy Week will take on a depth of meaning unlike we have ever experienced before.
Both readings today have to do with unity and peace that are to be obtained once and for all by the sacrifice of one man for not only one nation, but all the nations: Jesus, Messiah, King, Suffering Servant, and Beloved Friend. It was prophesied in the first reading that God's people would be unified physically and spiritually – brought to one land, and given one identity, to live in peace – God's eternally loved and protected people! In the gospel passage, the same thing is fulfilled in Jesus gathering all the nations into one identity in order to bestow grace, mercy, forgiveness, love and peace to them – both in this life, and forever.
May we be comforted in knowing how immensely loved we are by God – and that he went through all of these thousands of years of preparation so that you and I could, this very day, this very Lent, this very Holy Week experience the enormous depth of his care, the power of his protection and persistence of his desire to nurture us all the days of our lives – in all the dimensions of our lives – until we are one day safely home with him inside the gates of Paradise: in the one kingdom prepared for his whole family – where we will live together in peace and joy forever!
All glory, praise and thanks are yours, our loving God and Father – forever and ever. Amen.
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