What if Lent Could Rekindle Your Faith? Exploring the Kerygma
Life can take us on unexpected paths, and sometimes our faith journey can feel like it’s taken a detour. If you’ve found yourself distant from your faith, or if you’re simply curious about exploring it again, this Lenten season offers a gentle invitation to reconnect. These daily reflections focus on the Kerygma, the core message of Christianity – a message of love, hope, and new beginnings. We’ll be exploring eight key “Acts” of God’s story, from creation to our present call to partnership with Him. There’s no pressure, no judgment, just an invitation to consider a different perspective and perhaps rediscover a connection you thought was lost.
Act 2: Paradise and Choice – Free Will and Trust in God’s Command
Theme
Kerygma Act 2: Creation, the Fall, and Free Will
“God created us in love and for love. He gave us a free will to choose to love Him or not. Adam and Eve, tempted by the serpent, chose to disobey God, breaking their relationship with Him and bringing sin and death into the world. This is the Fall.”
Sirach 15:14-17
“When God, in the beginning, created man, He made him subject to his own free choice. If you choose, you can keep the commandments; loyalty is doing the will of God. Set before you are fire and water; to whatever you choose, stretch out your hand. Before everyone are life and death, whichever they choose will be given them.”
Reflection
From the very beginning, God has given humanity the freedom to choose. He does not impose His will upon us but lovingly offers us the path of life. Sirach paints a clear picture: before us stand two paths—one leading to life, the other to destruction. God desires that we choose life, yet He respects our freedom. This is both a great gift and a great responsibility. During Lent, we are invited to reflect on the choices we make daily. Do we choose God in our thoughts, words, and actions? Do we trust in His wisdom, or do we follow our own desires? Through prayer, we seek His guidance; through fasting, we discipline our wills; through almsgiving, we choose love over selfishness. Every choice, no matter how small, shapes our journey toward or away from God. Today, let us stretch out our hands toward life.
Prayer
Lord, You have given me the freedom to choose. Help me to use this gift wisely, always turning toward You. When I am faced with temptation, give me the strength to choose what is good and life-giving. May my heart be loyal to Your will. Amen.
Action
Be mindful of your choices today. In a moment of decision—whether in speech, action, or thought—pause and intentionally choose the path that leads to love, kindness, and faithfulness.
The Kerygma
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Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post