Sweeter Than Pi
"If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die." - Ezek 18:21
Today we celebrate the feast of Pi Day! (Sorry to those who gave up sweets for Lent.) While the Catholic Church may not recognize Pi Day in the liturgical calendar, I see a few connections between the date and some themes in today’s readings.
In the first reading from Ezekiel, the Lord says that a wicked man who makes a 180° turn from sin and does “what is right and just” will surely live, and that “none of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him.” For a genuinely repentant person, their sins are further from God’s memory than the first digit of pi to the last. Yep, keep counting…
Rather than deriving pleasure from the death of the wicked, God rejoices when they turn from evil, so “that [they] may live.” When we walk the pi-ous path of justice, love, and mercy, we taste and see the goodness of the Lord. How sweet, even transcendental, is the virtuous life!
Jesus brings this message full circle in the Gospel. He makes strong, dare I say, irrational statements about how holding onto anger towards others makes us as “liable to judgment” as murder. Jesus is focused on the heart here. We can probably all think of a time when we let a petty resentment fester, and how its radius extended into other relationships and areas of our life.
We are only able to receive mercy in the same proportion that we are willing to share it with others. God desires for us to have a piece—I mean peace, well both. So let’s cut generous slices of mercy for one another, shall we? And let’s make sure we have enough room for the slice God wants to give us.
Instead of fearing “fiery Gehenna” or prison-like eternal punishments, let’s reflect on the places where a lack of forgiveness, for ourselves or for others, may be imprisoning us. When we focus less on judging others or fearing God’s judgement on us, and more on experiencing and responding to God’s lavish feast of love for us, that’s truly living. Even though God may not be a physical constant, God’s love infinitely encircles us.
If you eat pie today (pizza or otherwise), let yourself truly savor the taste, texture, aroma, and let it remind you of God’s lavish love. During this Lenten season, where might you be invited to offer yourself or someone else a larger, more generous slice of mercy?
Jessica Gerhardt Jessurun