Lenten Reflection Day 23 ~ Monday Fourth Week of Lent:

Opening Prayers: 

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and Confiteor (see Day 1).

Scripture Reading (Deuteronomy 4:7–9):

“For what other nation is there so great, that hath gods so nigh to them, as our God is present to all our petitions? … Take heed to thyself and keep thy soul carefully. Forget not the words that thy eyes have seen: and let them not go out of thy heart all the days of thy life.”

Reflection:

Today, we are reminded of the nearness of God and the sacred duty to remember. Moses exhorts Israel to reflect on the singular privilege they have: “What nation is there so great, that has gods so near to them?” The Lord had drawn near to them in covenant love—speaking, guiding, protecting. And the response He desires is reverent memory and faithful obedience: “Take heed to thyself… Forget not.”

Lent is a season to remember the works of the Lord and examine how well we’ve responded. How easily we forget the great things God has done for us: answered prayers, moments of grace, conversions, rescues, consolations. As time passes, we become spiritually forgetful—ungrateful, even complacent. But Moses says: Do not let them go out of your heart.

One of the worst spiritual dangers is ingratitude. St. Ignatius of Loyola said that all sin begins in ingratitude. When we forget God's mercy, we fall into lukewarmness, pride, and self-reliance. Lent, therefore, is a time to rekindle gratitude and renew our sense of awe that the Almighty is so near.

In the Blessed Sacrament, Christ is literally present among us, answering the very question posed by Moses: What people has a God so close? We do. The Incarnate God abides in our tabernacles and enters our very body in Holy Communion. And yet, how easily we neglect His presence. Today is an opportunity to recall His nearness, to “take heed,” and keep the memory of His love alive in our hearts.

How can we “take heed”? Through recollection, silence, and frequent prayer. Recollection combats forgetfulness. Silence fosters reverence. Prayer sustains memory. Consider how often in Scripture God commands His people to remember: “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt…” “Remember the Sabbath…” “Do this in remembrance of Me…” Our faith is a remembrance of God’s saving acts, culminating in the Cross.

A fruitful Lenten exercise is to recall your own salvation history: your baptism, the graces that shaped you, the turning points of conversion. Perhaps write down ten moments when God clearly showed His nearness in your life. Review them often. Let them anchor your faith when trials come.

Saintly Insight:

St. Teresa of Ávila, who cultivated deep interior recollection, once wrote, “Let nothing disturb you… God alone suffices.” She taught that the soul must often withdraw into the “interior castle” where God dwells, remembering His goodness and abiding presence. Her example reminds us that mindfulness of God is the beginning of peace.

Closing Prayers:

V: O Lord, hear my prayer.

R: And let my cry come unto Thee.

V: Let us bless the Lord.

R: Thanks be to God.

V: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R: Amen.