The Call to Return
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Joel 2:12-13
Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.
Grace Prayed For
Grace Prayed For : Pray for the gift of a “Rended Heart”—the ability to move beyond outward religious rituals and allow God to transform the deepest, most hidden parts of your soul.
Reflection
To contemplate this passage is to hear the heartbeat of a Father who never stops watching the horizon for His children. The phrase “Even now” is the bridge between our past failures and our future intimacy. It signals that God’s dwelling with us is not earned by our perfection, but received through our turning.
Deepening Intimacy with Jesus: Jesus is the embodiment of the God who is “slow to anger and rich in kindness.” To grow closer to Him, see Him as the one who stands ready to receive your “whole heart,” not just the curated, “clean” version you show the world. Imagine Jesus looking at the parts of your life you usually hide and saying, “Return to me even with this.” By offering Him your vulnerability, you allow Him to tread your guilt underfoot.
Bringing Love into Every Encounter:
Wipe Away Tears: Mirror God’s “richness in kindness” by being a safe space for someone else’s mourning or weeping today.
The Old Order vs. The New: The “old order” is the “rending of garments”—performing for others or staying on the surface. The “new order” is the rending of the heart—being authentic and vulnerable. When you interact with others today, choose to be real rather than right.
See the Thirst: Everyone you meet is thirsty for a second chance. When you respond with “kindness” instead of “punishment,” you are reflecting the character of the God who relents in anger.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
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