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Thursday, March 6, 1997

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Jeremiah 7:23-28
Psalm 95
Luke 11:14-23

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hard — and hardening — hearts

"They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts." —Jeremiah 7:24

If today you hear God's voice, harden not your hearts (see Ps 95:7-8).

We can have hardening of our hearts for years, even for generations (Jer 7:26). For centuries, we can ignore God and become progressively worse than our fathers, who were worse than their fathers and grandfathers (see Jer 7:26). The hardening of hearts can be chosen not only by individuals but by nations (see Jer 7:28). Hard and hardening hearts can be generational, epidemic, deteriorating, and international. They can become so hard that we kill God's prophets, forget that there is faithfulness (Jer 7:28), accuse Jesus of working for the devil (Lk 11:15), become pawns of the devil, kill millions of babies in the womb, constantly watch sin on TV for entertainment, never bother to read the Bible, rebel against God's Church, and be involved in other related perversions, self-deceptions, and atrocities.

If today you hear God's voice, harden not your hearts.

Prayer:  Father, this Lent melt my heart and the most hardened hearts.

Promise:  "Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord Who made us. For He is our God, and we are the people He shepherds, the flock He guides." —Ps 95:6-7

Praise:  Thomas rebelled against God for many years. God drew him back to Himself when Thomas heard a favorite childhood hymn.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, August 1, 1996


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 6, 1996