Today, we commemorate St Matilda, a Queen in Germany from the 10th century, wife of King Henry I. As Queen, Matilda was humble, pious, and generous. She had a very good influence over her husband, influencing his rule as king. When her husband died, her son quarreled over the succession of the throne. After the family reconciled, she founded several influential monasteries in Germany, spending most of her time at them as widow. She is remembered today for her generous spirit and her love for the poor, whom she helped greatly.
The prophet Ezekiel declares today that the man who repents from the evil he has done will be completely forgiven by God. However, the righteousness that man has done after repenting will be remembered. However, if a formerly good man turns to a life of sin, he will die in his sin. This shows how importance forgiveness and repentance are on our journey of faith. In the Old Testament, people often thought that they were guilty of the sins of their parents and their ancestor, that those sins carried over to them. Ezekiel affirms that sin is something that belongs to the individual. It is a person’s present disposition that determines God’s judgement. Ezekiel affirms that God is merciful and forgiving.
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