Today

Hebrews 3:7-14; Psalm 95 If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts; Mark 1:40-45


In the letter to the Hebrews we read, "Encourage yourselves daily while it is still "today", so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin."

The writer is reminding us that our life can never be lived in the past or in the future it can only be lived "today."

We must learn to leave the past to the mercy of God and the future to divine providence and live today in the love of God.

Today is all we have; today is lived in God and with God and this is what makes tomorrow hopeful and yesterday meaningful.

If today you hear his vocie harden not your hearts, the response of the Mass proclaims.

How do we encourage ourselves daily?

The letter to the Hebrews, in chapter 3, is commenting on Psalm 95. At the beginning of Psalm 95, the psalmist gives us a cue as to how to encourage ourselves daily to avoid the hardens of heart:

"come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with Joy to the Rock who saves us. Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord...Come let us bow down and worship, bending the knee before the Lord, our maker for he is our God and we are his people, the flock he shepherds."

This is how we encourgae ourselves daily and avoid the hardness that kills.


Excerpt from St.Athanasius: Discourse against the Pagans

The ALmighty and most HOly Word of the Father pervades the whole of reality, everywhere unfolding his power and shining on all things visible and invisible. He sustains it all and binds it together in himself. He leaves nothing devoid of his power but gives life and keeps it in being throughout all of creation and in each individual creature.

Excerpt from the book of Sirach ch 43

Behold the rainbow! Then bless its maker, for majestic indeed is its splendor; It spans the heavens with its glory. this bow bent by the mighty hand of God.


This is why we sing to the Lord ans shout to the rock who saves and thus keep our hearts soft.