Reading of the Word of God

Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory

I am the good shepherd,
my sheep listen to my voice,
and they become
one flock and one fold.
.

Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory

Deuteronomy 30,15-20

'Look, today I am offering you life and prosperity, death and disaster. If you obey the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I am laying down for you today, if you love Yahweh your God and follow his ways, if you keep his commandments, his laws and his customs, you will live and grow numerous, and Yahweh your God will bless you in the country which you are about to enter and make your own. But if your heart turns away, if you refuse to listen, if you let yourself be drawn into worshipping other gods and serving them, I tell you today, you will most certainly perish; you will not live for long in the country which you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. Today, I call heaven and earth to witness against you: I am offering you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live, in the love of Yahweh your God, obeying his voice, holding fast to him; for in this your life consists, and on this depends the length of time that you stay in the country which Yahweh swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that he would give them.'

Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory

I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.

Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory

The choice between the two ways is not without consequences. It is a responsibility that determines the quality of the existence of the entire people, not just each individual. Choosing goodness and life means continuing to be blessed and protected as His people. Choosing evil means giving oneself over to unhappiness and death. This is why Moses continues, "Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him" (Deut 30:19). The choice to love the Lord means to listen faithfully to his Word, so that one can "walk in his ways" and "hold fast to him." God's blessing on the people and their future is equally concrete: he grants longevity and descendants. Sometimes in the Bible we encounter a challenge to this promise. Especially when we are confronted with the suffering and untimely death of the righteous, as happens for example in the book of Job and the book of Wisdom. However, there is no doubt that communion with the Lord and listening to his Word make life beautiful and human and spread great wisdom in the world. This message will be accepted and brought to fulfilment by Jesus. His disciples are those who accept his Word with an open heart and put it into practice every day. Being disciples and loving the Lord is a choice that must be renewed every day, especially during this time of Lent, an opportune time of conversion. Let us lift our gaze from ourselves and turn it to the Lord, the master of our lives.