Truly Looking Inside

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to us imagination to be in the dialogues we hear. Hosea is consoling the people with the promise that their relationship with God is not severed by their actions. He presents an agenda for the near future when hope will be realized and they will return to their knowledge of the Divine in their lives. Hosea expresses the fickleness of the people in words of God which also reveal steadfast desire to maintain the relationship with the people. Psalm 51 is the prayer of repentance which is rich in understanding of transgression and the passion to be reunited through the mercy and compassion of God. The phrases resonate with the indwelling Spirit as sincere longing and delightful expectation of reunion. The Pharisee and the Tax-Collector from Luke’s Gospel are presenting themselves in prayer before God. We are offered through our imagination the certainty of righteousness of the Pharisee who knows he is doing the right things and the examination of self of the tax collector who understands that his righteousness is only possible through the mercy and compassion of the Divine. The revelation of self through our relationship with the Divine is the path we are called to follow. The picture of our weakness is showing where we will encounter the joy of redemption and restoration.