Cast away all your sins from yourselves, says the Lord, and renew your heart and your spirit’ Ez 18:31.

As we approach the feast of Easter, we strive for a greater connection with God, through prayer, repentance, contrition, and an end to sin. There can be a temptation here: when progress is made, and we rid ourselves of grievous sins in confession, we cease our efforts. We stop struggling with the little sins, not realizing that they, too, may be the reason for our unfruitfulness. But the challenge is clear: “Cast away from yourselves all your sins, says the Lord” (Eze 18:31).

One successful farmer started by buying land, mostly just pasture. Turning them into fertile arable land was very difficult. It was no problem to remove the boulders that were on the land. There was no problem with the larger rocks either. The problem only arose after the first sloughing. When he looked at the plowed area, he could see that the ground was covered with small stones everywhere. But he didn’t give up. He and his wife set about picking. For days, they collected small rocks. Then he sowed for the first time. The following year, when sloughing, many tiny stones appeared again. They picked them all again. And so on for years to come. Today, this particular plot of land is one of the most fertile. Removing the little sins, weaknesses, and habits can seem never-ending. But the result is always a beautiful and holy soul that yields much spiritual harvest.

Cast away from you all your sins, says the Lord, and renew your heart and spirit (Eze 18:31) . Now is the time to meditate on Christ’s suffering, his love for us, when he conquered death and sin to redeem us. Let us renew our hearts and spirits to enjoy the gift of Christ’s redemption.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me strength today to fight even the more minor things that cause separation from You. Help me maintain inner peace and discernment in everything I do. May today be, once again, an opportunity for me to renew my heart and spirit. I pray that I may keep only good things in my heart. Amen.

Questions for reflection. Which are the small stones that I still need to pick up? What “new” way of renewing my heart will I still choose before Easter?