If you remain in My Word, You will truly be my disciples, and You will know the truth, and the truth will set You free.
John 8:32
Day Thirty One of Lent: Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent – John 8
“If you remain in My Word, You will truly be my disciples, and You will know the truth, and the truth will set You free” -Jn 8:32.
Today’s Lenten Reflection
In today’s Gospel, Jesus promises that His Word will give us the Truth that will set us free. This sounds wonderful – and it certainly is wonderful – but abiding by the Word of God is definitely not for the faint of heart. We are so culturally accustomed to buffet-styles of choices that we often treat the Word of God with the same triviality. We pick and choose what we want to believe and what we want to obey throughout Scripture (often desiring something less complicated, risky or politically controversial), rather than accepting the fullness of it.
Simply stated, true and lasting spiritual freedom can only be obtained by accepting and adhering to the fullness of God’s Word. This means that in order to be truly free in our mind and soul, to be in a state of peace and joy regardless of circumstance, we must accept all of what God says. Every single Word of God serves a divine purpose in our lives; helpful guardrails that lead us along the narrow path … the path of life-everlasting. Moreover, because we are not God we do not have the right (or the authority) to pick and choose of His Word what we will accept and what we will not, what to obey and what to discard … for we do not know what is best. Only God does.
When we submit to the fullness of God’s Word, we will not only have an impenetrable spiritual armor of protection around us; we will truly become, as Jesus said, His disciple. And being a true disciple of Christ gives us access to divine Truth, wisdom and discernment – and that is the kind of Truth that will set us free indeed! As challenging as that proposition may seem at times, fully surrendering our will for God’s by believing the entirety of His Word is definitely an offer worth taking.
Today’s Lenten Meditation
The Lenten Season is the perfect time to reflect upon all that Jesus has taught us and all that He has done for us. It is also a time to take stock in how much actual time we are devoting to Him and what we are doing to deepen our spiritual lives. One of the things the Church has always taught is that in order to grow closer to Christ in all ways, we must be taking in the living Word of God on a daily basis. So the next time you open your Bible, ask God to give you a childlike faith – a faith that accepts the fullness of His Truth without question or doubt.
Additional Readings for Today
Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92; John 8:31-42
Lenten Prayer
Beloved Jesus, our Lord and Savior, we desire to live wholly by Your Truth. Forgive us when our human tendency is to doubt and protect ourselves; to choose the easier way instead of Your divine and righteous way. Please, Lord, give us the grace to deepen our trust so that we may walk in the fullness of Your Truth without fear or reservation. It is in Your good and holy Name we pray, amen.
Today’s Suggested Penance
Spend 30 minutes with Jesus reading His Word. When you are finished, pray for the grace to accept the fullness of divine Truth without fail. Pray also for your brothers and sisters in Christ that they too may be given the same graces.
“How sweet the presence of Jesus for the longing, harassed soul! It is instant peace, and balm to every wound” -St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
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