1st Week of Lent 2022 - Friday - Turn away, turn toward, turn with

 

Conversion is often thought of as a three-fold process. The first stage is aversion, turning away from the things that are not of God. The second is adversion, turning toward the things of God. The third is conversion, turning with the Lord, living one’s life with the Lord.

When the Lord in the Gospel says that the righteousness that God wants for us must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, he was saying that more is necessary than that first stage. The pharisees focused on aversion, turning away, from the things that were considered unclean in the Law of Moses.

They turned away from unclean food, those rendered unclean through disease, and foreigners, considered unclean for being non-Jewish. 

So to, for Christians, we must follow that first stage of conversion, too. We must turn away from what our faith tells us is unclean. Unclean speech, unclean use of money, unclean use of our sexuality, unclean use of our eyes and ears. 

But Christian righteousness must surpass just that first stage of aversion to sin and uncleanness. We must turn toward the things of God. We learn about the teachings of Jesus. We read the Scriptures. We learn about the lives of the saints. We learn to distinguish between the foolishness and errors of the world, with the timeless wisdom of God. But still, this level keeps the things of God at a bit of a distance. Like going to Catholic School for 12 years, knowing what the Church teaches, but never integrating it. We mustn’t just learn about the things of God, we must integrate them into our lives. 

And that’s the third stage of true, authentic conversion: having turned away from sin, and toward the things of God, we integrate them into our lives. Not only do we turn toward the Church, we enter in. We engage in divine worship and authentic prayer, meditation, and contemplation. We don’t just learn about the commandments, we abide by them. We practice fasting willingly, recognizing it’s powerful spiritual value. We don’t just read the scriptures, we allow their wisdom to shape our lives, our behaviors, and attitudes. We don’t just learn about the saints, we begin practicing actual acts of sanctity. 

And the Lord says, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.” The Kingdom of Heaven begins in this life. Walking with God, living with God, allowing the life of God to animate us, that begins now. And if heaven doesn’t begin for you in this earthly life, you won’t have a share in it once you shed this mortal coil.

600 years before the birth of Jesus, Ezekiel even foretells this in our first reading today: “If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”

May Lent help us to turn away from sin, turn toward the things of God, help us to do what is right, what is of surpassing righteousness, the holiness of Christ in whom we are to live, and move, and have our being, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For “an immediate end to the hostilities in Ukraine, for a restoration of peace and for the safety of all Ukrainian citizens. And for the Ukrainian community in Northeast Ohio, that their friends and family members in their beloved homeland be kept out of harm’s way.”

During these 40 days for Life, we pray for the unborn and for a change in laws, policies, and attitudes which devalue the sanctity of life.

That the season of Lent may bring the most hardened hearts to repentance and bring to all people purification of sin and selfishness.

For those preparing for baptism and the Easter sacraments, that they may continue to conform themselves to Christ through fervent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

That we may generously respond to all those in need: the sick, the suffering, the homeless, the imprisoned, and victims of violence. And for all victims of the coronavirus and their families. And for the Church in China and all places where the Gospel is silenced.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.