We have been hearing from different Old Testament books this week such as Isaiah, Jonah, and Esther. Today we hear from the prophet Ezekiel as we come to the end of our first full week of Lent. Ezekiel gives us a message of the importance of repentance and conversion, telling us that the Lord does not delight when a wicked man stays in his wickedness and earns punishment; rather, the Lord delights when the wicked man turns his back on his evil ways and has a change of heart. The Lord delights in the conversion of the sinner.
There is a prayer called the Jesus prayer that states: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.” It is a prayer that is very popular in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and also is widespread in Western Catholicism. In the Eastern tradition, this prayer is often prayed repeatedly using a cord that would be similar to our rosary. It is believed that this prayer has its origins with the Desert Fathers and Mothers in the Egyptian desert in the 5th century. There is a prayer very similar in form to the Jesus prayer found in the letters of St John Chrysostom written in the early 5th century. This short little prayer so succinctly says what so many Christians feel in their humble hearts, how they place their sins before Jesus's mercy.
We hear this message from the prophet Ezekiel during the first week of Lent because Lent is about changing our ways and turning back to God. It is hard to break old habits and to reform our lives. It is hard to break out of the chains of addictions, out of our laziness and complacency. But that is what the Lord is calling us to do – to repent from our sins. And the Lord will rejoice when we are able to do so.
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