In the Gospel reading today from Mark 9, Jesus lets us know how dangerous it is to lead others into sin. “It would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” While we must strive for our own holiness, it is also incumbent upon us to help lead others to holiness.
My radio show is called “Seize the Day.” One of the Scripture passages that I used as inspiration for that title is in today’s first reading from Sirach 5. Sirach warns not to take God’s mercy for granted. “Of forgiveness be not overconfident, adding sin upon sin. Say not, ‘Great is his mercy; my many sins he will forgive.’ ” If we sin with impunity, never repenting, we are in for a sordid end. But that’s not the verse that helped inspire my show.
“Delay not your conversion to the Lord, put it not off from day to day.” You see, conversion is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. And even if we have had a “conversion experience” at some point in our life, we need to have another. And another. And another. Today. I suppose we could roll the dice and hope that we can remember to have a conversion on our death bed. But I have found that life is much more interesting converting every day and seeing what God has in store. So how about it? Shall we convert today?
Father, help us to be in a constant state of conversion. Help us never to take your great mercy for granted, but to come to you often seeking it. Amen.
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