+ The joy of last Sunday's celebration continues this week as we soon approach the finish line of Lent. The theme remains the same: even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful. It is just amazing how hopeful and excited God is about any of us who might take this opportunity, during this Lent, to turn or re-turn to him with our whole heart, like never before; to experience his ever available and powerful grace and tender mercy. Just as the adulterous woman in the gospel passage experienced the unprecedented compassion and healing of Jesus by an act of loving acceptance and forgiveness – rather than condemnation - she is now a role model for us as far as one who was sincerely repentant, willing to change her life – and in fact did so - at the invitation and encouragement of Jesus. Jesus invites us to the same process of conversion and better living!
In the second reading today we have another example of one who was "going the wrong way" until he had a powerful encounter with Jesus: St. Paul. Great evidence of Paul's conversion is found in this passage from his letter to the Phillippians: I consider everything [now] as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. He is even quite willing to share in the sufferings of Christ, being conformed to his death, so as to share in his resurrection from the dead. He says that he still has a long way to go as far as possessing Jesus completely, but compared with Jesus and eternal life – everything else in this life just does not measure up. He says that he strains rather toward the goal; the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus.
All of this is not just for Paul: it is for us too. When we get our priorities straight and keep our eyes focused on the true finish line at the gates of Paradise: then we know who we are; we know we are undeservedly gifted people of God: members of his family, no less – and heirs of a life of which we can only barely imagine.
Just as God put water into the desert in the first reading today, so too he wants to bring life and nourishment to our parched and oft-times tattered lives. It makes him very happy to do it, and it makes us happy to have it done for us. But we must always give credit where credit is due: give God glory and praise, honor and worship because the source of the water of life is at his throne in heaven: in fact, it is his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ – who will give every drop of water within him very soon to prove his love for us.
Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful – and then "go and do not sin any more."
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