The Covenant That Binds Us To God

Loving both friends and enemies is the way of the Lord.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Saturday of 1st Week of Lent, February 24th, 2024
Texts: Deuteronomy 26:16-19; Psalm 119:1-2,4-5,7-8; Matthew 5:43-48 

We are reminded, today, of the covenant that binds us to God and God to us. It is by the covenant we become His people and He becomes our God. We pledged our lives to Him by the covenant. Moses says, “You have declared this day concerning the  Lord that he is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his ordinances, and will obey his voice”. Pledging our lives to Him, we resolve to obey Him and walk in His ways.

God binds Himself to us by pledging to make us His heritage and honour us; and allowing us to walk in His ways. Moses puts it thus: “And the  Lord has declared this day concerning you that you are a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, that he will set you high above all nations that he has made, in praise and in fame and in honour, and that you shall be a people holy to the  Lord your God, as he has spoken." 

Loving both friends and enemies is the way of the Lord

Being the people of God, Jesus calls us to walk in His ways. He puts it thus: “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven”. He adds, “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Loving both friends and enemies is the way of the Lord and we are to follow it.  

The question to us, today, is this: Do we keep our covenant with God? Do we walk in the ways of the Lord? Do we love both friends and enemies? Being the people of God, our love should know no bound; our lives should speak God to people. We are to walk in His ways as His people; He does not want us to walk in different ways. It is by walking in His ways that we are with Him. When we walk in His ways, He will crown us with honour and dignity.  

Prayer 

Turn our hearts to you, eternal Father, and grant that, seeking always the one thing necessary and carrying out works of charity, we may be dedicated to your worship. Amen  

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke