Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Thursday after Ash Wednesday, February 19th, 2026

Delivered by Samuel Ivan Gunarsa from the Parish of Mary of All Nations in the Diocese of Bogor, Indonesia. Deuteronomy 30: 15-20; Rs psalm 1: 1-2.3.4.6; Luke 9: 22-25.CHOOSE BLESSINGS Our meditation today isentitled: Choose Blessings. After Ash Wednesday, the liturgy of the day thatfollows invites us to ponder on God's blessings. The Lenten observance is avery special opportunity in the discipline of faith with the demands forstronger effort and quality being trully Jesus' followers when compared withother liturgical seasons. Then the blessing of God is very necessary for therealization of this process of discipline as God pleases His blessings forevery believer who expects salvation. By choosingblessings, what do we not choose? Or if God gives us His blessings, what doesGod not give? The book of Deuteronomy in the first reading confirms that cursesand sufferings for the sins committed are not our choices. In reality, somepeople choose curses or miseries because they are guided by their freedom ofwill. God created this life from the beginning has been good. However, due tothe fall of human nature, the presence and power of truth must face the curseof sin. So people can choose to sin. Believers are guided to choose blessings. Choosing blessingsmeans choosing God. Whereas choosing curse means choosing God's enemy, Satan.In God there is life, love, and hope for an eternal life. Whereas the curse containsdeath, hatred, and eternal punishment. Jesus Christ was sent by the Father intothe world to establish a kingdom of life to rule and bring everyone toblessings. His teachings and example of life are the lamps and springs of waterthat guarantee the continuity of this blessing in the form of graces bestowedon every one who needs it. Today Jesus Christpresents content of our choice to follow Him which is all His blessings flowfrom Him. In this Lent, we receive blessings through prayer, fasting, andcharity. All these three actions must be carried out in the spirit of the crosswe put on our shoulders and perseverance in self-denial. The cross always meanssacrifice and becomes burden that must be borne. We pray, fast or sacrifice,and do charity with certain quantity and quality that makes us able to bear theweight of the cross like Jesus did. These three righteous deeds must also leadus to focus on uniting our hearts with God, and not on ourselves and allinterests of the world. From there blessings will flow to us.Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord Jesus Christ, may Your word strengthen our intention to carry thecross and deny ourselves in order to diligently follow You. Bless us so thatall the way following You we find our true self. Hail Mary, full of grace ...In the name of the Father ...