February 14 Leviticus & Romans

I knew we would eventually get to it – sex, before you get to caught up in all this remember the purpose of what is written, being an understanding of who is prepared to come before the Lord. Lord elsewhere tells Moses that he is a jealous God. So whether we are talking about emissions or other ways to be ritually unclean, it is not so much the what as the why. And the why is that the Lord wants all our attention all our being to be present and open to him. Whatever distracts us from him in Leviticus’ language makes us unclean – not ready to truly be present to the Lord. God wants a relationship with us. He wants us to be attentive and ready to hear his voice. As busy people when something is important to us we prepare and get ourselves ready to participate or engage in some activity. God demands no less. Ash Wednesday is a perfect day to think about the time and prep you give to coming before the Lord. Repent and believe in the Gospel. The Day of Atonement is God’s way of helping the Israelites know their sins are forgiven. God still wishes us to know forgiveness through our Lord Jesus Christ in the celebration of the Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In these two sacraments, we can claim the gift given us in Jesus.

These are some of my favorite lines of Paul’s, “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life.” It is beyond our mental ability to fully understand the grace of God at work here for us. So we express our gratitude and thanksgiving for the love of God beyond all telling in Jesus Christ our Lord.