A way back

For some of us, at some point our lives became “complicated” – to put it diplomatically.

To put it bluntly, we took a wrong turn.

We probably had reasons. We probably thought it was the only thing we could do under the circumstances. We probably rationalized brilliantly.

But the truth remains that we had veered from the path God had lighted for us.

Today’s readings, as we begin again the Ordinary Time of the Church calendar, give us words of great hope, beginning with the first reading (Sirach 17:20-24):

To the penitent God provides a way back,
he encourages those who are losing hope
and has chosen for them the lot of truth.

Perhaps we cannot see a way back. Perhaps we feel we have gone too far astray and that the cost would be too high. Perhaps we feel that it is impossible for us to find a way back from the dark and complex morass into which we have wandered.

But in today’s Gospel (Mark 10:17-27) our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gives us the ultimate words of hope:

For men it is impossible,
but not for God.
All things are possible for God.

In his way, in his time, by his grace, God extends to us a way back.

May we reach our hands to him and follow.