The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to examine the motives and desires we bring to our piety, study and action.
The reading from the Prophet Hosea is a call to repentance that counters the impenitence of Israel and Judah.
* [6:2] After two days; on the third day: presumptuous Israel expects that soon God will renew them (cf. Ez 37).
* [6:5] The word of God proclaimed by the prophets is effective, it accomplished what it promised: punishment. (Hosea, CHAPTER 6, n.d.)
Psalm 51 is a prayer for cleansing and pardon.
* [Psalm 51] A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21.
* [51:18] For you do not desire sacrifice: the mere offering of the ritual sacrifice apart from good dispositions is not acceptable to God, cf. Ps 50.
* [51:20–21] Most scholars think that these verses were added to the Psalm some time after the destruction of the Temple in 587 B.C. The verses assume that the rebuilt Temple will be an ideal site for national reconciliation. (Psalms, PSALM 51, n.d.)
The Gospel of Luke presents the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax-Collector.
* [18:1–14] The particularly Lucan material in the travel narrative concludes with two parables on prayer. The first (Lk 18:1–8) teaches the disciples the need of persistent prayer so that they not fall victims to apostasy (Lk 18:8). The second (Lk 18:9–14) condemns the self-righteous, critical attitude of the Pharisee and teaches that the fundamental attitude of the Christian disciple must be the recognition of sinfulness and complete dependence on God’s graciousness. The second parable recalls the story of the pardoning of the sinful woman (Lk 7:36–50) where a similar contrast is presented between the critical attitude of the Pharisee Simon and the love shown by the pardoned sinner. (Luke, CHAPTER 18, n.d.)
Tom Purcell comments that ultimately, sacrifices and self-denial are good, not in themselves, but as a vehicle for fully appreciating the incredible gift we have received from our Creator to enjoy this physical life. Our spiritual nature is the immortal in each of us, and when our physical life in this world ends, that spirit passes on to the next phase of our existence. Thoughtful self-denial reminds us that we shouldn’t be attached to the good things in our current physical existence because that attachment can distract us from why God gave us this opportunity.
My prayer today is for the grace to repent for the times when I have dis-connected my actions from God’s calling to be authentic to my true self, and to guard against smug rationalizations and feelings of entitlement. (Purcell, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “God's mercy is our only hope,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Driven out of paradise by You and exiled in a distant land, I cannot return by myself unless You, O Lord, come to meet me in my wandering. My return is based on hope in your mercy during all of my earthly life. My only hope, the only source of confidence, and the only solid promise is your mercy." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 24,5) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Hosea 6:1-6 comments that the prophet Hosea highlights two important desires that God has for us whenever we pray, fast, or give alms. First, “It is love that I desire” (Hosea 6:6). Second, “I desire . . . knowledge of God” (Hosea 6:6).
How does the rest of Lent look for you? Do you need to make any adjustments? Just like those cyclists in the Tour de France, it’s okay if you need to make a course correction. Just keep your goal in mind: to know and love the Lord better!
“Here I am, Father! Open my eyes and open my heart even more today.” (Meditation on Hosea 6:1-6, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the call of Hosea for Israel to return to the Lord that resonates with the Jewish idea of prayer for two days that results in deliverance on the third. Rain and dew illustrate the generosity of the Love of God and our sometimes fleeting response. Friar Jude notes that the publican tax collector receives the gift of the Grace to go forward.
James Finley invites us to join with the CAC community in a guided prayer experience. This brief practice of stillness, breath, and surrender to God’s unconditional love returns us to a deeper knowing of who we are in God and who God is in and with us.
I Love You Prayer | 5-Minute Meditation with James Finley (Finley, 2023)
We experience the nudges of the Spirit to live with the charity and humility that opens us to deep interaction with God and others.
References
Finley, J. (2023, March 18). Teresa of Ávila: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/teresa-of-avila-weekly-summary-2023-03-18/
Hosea, CHAPTER 6. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hosea/6?1
Luke, CHAPTER 18. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/18?9
Meditation on Hosea 6:1-6. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/03/18/633294/
Psalms, PSALM 51. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51?3
Purcell, T. (2023, March 18). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/031823.html
Schwager, D. (n.d.). God, Be Merciful to Me a Sinner! Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=mar18
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