Covenant Renewal

Today’s reading from the Prophet Nehemiah describes the ritual through which Ezra and Nehemiah led the Israelites in renewing the covenant of Sinai.  As they listened to the words of the Torah, they prostrated themselves before the Lord and wept for their sins and the sins of their ancestors.  However, after completing the ritual, the Levites instruct the people to rejoice and celebrate their covenant relationship with God.

This day of renewal is what Ezra and Nehemiah have been working for.  Ever since the Israelites were released from the Babylonian captivity and had returned to their homeland, they have been preparing the people for the day on which they would once again claim their inheritance as God’s Chosen People.  They had been punished for their betrayal, but now they were told to leave the sins of the past in the dust of the desert and to return to the business of praising God and keeping the covenant.

The words of renewal are easy; the deeds are difficult.  One hundred years later, Jerusalem was still a city without walls, and the Temple was little more than a shadow of its former glory.  Like them, we too often find it difficult to follow through on our resolutions, to live the Gospel life.  Our efforts and our energies are all too often not enough. 

To expect to do it on our own is folly.  No one can conquer sin in his or her own life without the strength of Jesus, for He alone in all of human history was able to conquer sin.  The ever popular twelve step programs that lead people out of various addictions begin with the first step; namely, that of realizing that one is powerless over alcohol or drugs or sex or whatever is their particular addiction.  Only when one accepts the strength of a higher power can anyone hope to overcome.

Fr/ :Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator