In ordinary time for the daily reading two books of the Bible are chosen and each day a new chapter is read, one after another. In Lent the readings are chosen to comment on each other. Today’s Old Testament lesson is a reflection of the Ten Commandments: Thou shalt not…. The New Testament lesson is the parable of the Sheep and the goats with the refrain: Whatsoever you do to the least, that you do unto me. What do these readings have in common? A closer look at the Book of Leviticus provides not just what to do or not do but the reason for doing so: “I am the Lord.” The commandments are not arbitrary but a reflection of the life and holiness of God and, since we are the children of God, we should imitate God. In the gospel, the call to care for the needy is only about charity but about recognizing that God is in our midst. The readings connect around the theme of discovering that the way we act, the things we do, are not limited to this world only but have divine significance.
