Virtual Retreat

Daily scriptural reflections by Fr. Rory Pitstick, SSL from Immaculate Heart Retreat Center in Spokane, WA
Also available via daily email

Friday, March 02, 2007

Daily Retreat 03/03/07

2007 Mar 3 Sat: Lenten Weekday/ Katharine Drexel, v, rf
Dt 26: 16-19/ Ps 118(119): 1-2. 4-5. 7-8/ Mt 5: 43-48

From today’s readings:  “Today you are making this agreement with the LORD: He is to be your God and you are to walk in His ways and observe His statutes, commandments and decrees, and to hearken to His voice....  You have commanded that Your precepts be diligently kept. Oh, that I might be firm in the ways of keeping Your statutes!...  I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for He makes His sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”


The Deal about God

God creates us, God redeems us from sin, God adopts us as His children, God sanctifies us, God showers us with His blessings, God calls us to the fullness of life with Him in Heaven.  God does a lot for us!  It's only natural that He would have some expectations on our part - not that anything we can do for God would ever entitle us to such generosity on His part, but we can at least show our appreciation and our commitment to use wisely the blessings He's given to us, and share these blessings with others.

Thousands of years ago, Moses remarked, "Today you are making this agreement with the LORD: He is to be your God, and you are to walk in His ways and observe His statutes, commandments and decrees, and to hearken to His voice."   

Note that those who recognize the Lord as God, must, at the same time, commit themselves to living life His way.  During this season of Lent, the Scriptures remind us to examine if we've been shirking our end of the deal, and to remember: now is the time to start living up to what God expects of us!