Remembering and Teaching Love: Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

"Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life." John 6:63

Kindness That Endures

In the Old Testament Reading for Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent, (Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9), Moses speaks to the people of Israel, reminding them of God's laws and urging them to remember his kindness:

“Take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)

Moses is saying: What God has done for you, his mercy, his justice, his love, must not be forgotten. It must be remembered, cherished, and passed on.

In the Gospel (Matthew 5:17-19), Jesus expands on this theme by teaching:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17)

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s law, it is a law rooted in love and kindness. He does not toss out the teachings of the past but fulfills and perfects them. Together, these readings remind us that kindness is something we learn, remember, and pass on. It is a legacy of love that should endure from generation to generation.

Practicing Kindness

1. Kindness Must Be Remembered and Practiced.
Moses warns the people not to forget what they have seen. How often do we forget the kindness we have received from God and from others?

Lenten Impulse

This Lent, take time to remember a moment when someone showed you kindness. Let that memory inspire you to pass it on to someone else.

2. Kindness Is a Teaching.
Moses commands the people: “Teach them to your children.” Kindness is not just something we do, it is something we pass on through our example.

Lenten Impulse:

Today, let us be intentional about teaching kindness to children, to friends, to those who look to us for guidance.

Teaching kindness is not only about words but about how we act, how we forgive, how we serve.

3. Kindness Is Fulfilled in Christ.
Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. The heart of God’s law is love, mercy, and kindness.

Lenten Impulse:

Ask yourself: Does my kindness reflect Jesus' fulfillment of love? Let us strive for a kindness that is generous, patient, and enduring, just as Jesus taught.

A Saint’s Wisdom on Kindness and Teaching

St. John Bosco, who dedicated his life to teaching and guiding young people, said:

"Without confidence and love, there can be no true education. If you want to be loved, you must love."

He was also known as Don Bosco, was an Italian priest, educator, and founder of the Salesians of Don Bosco, a religious order dedicated to the care and education of poor and abandoned youth. He believed in teaching through kindness, patience, and love, rather than punishment. He helped create an educational approach known as the "Preventive System." His work transformed the lives of countless young people, giving them not just an education but a sense of dignity and hope. Canonized in 1934, he is the patron saint of youth, teachers, and schoolchildren.

His words remind us that kindness is a lesson best taught by example. When we love, we pass on a legacy of kindness that continues beyond us.

Pray

Lord, Help me to remember the kindness you have shown me. Let me cherish and share it, teaching others by my words and actions. May I pass on a legacy of love that lasts beyond my own life.

Amen.