The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today restate our tendency to deviate from the love of God and neighbour and reaffirm the desire of God to rekindle our faith, hope, and charity.
The reading from the Prophet Hosea is a Plea for Repentance and an Assurance of Forgiveness.
* [14:4] These good intentions promise a reversal of Israel’s sins: no more reliance on “Assyria,” i.e., on foreign alliances (see notes on 8:9 and 12:2), on “horses,” i.e., on human power (10:13), and on idolatry (8:4–6; 13:2). Israel will trust in the Lord alone.
* [14:9] Verdant cypress tree: the symbol of lasting life, the opposite of the sacred trees of the Baal cult (4:13). The Lord provides the “fruit” (peri) to Israel (2:7, 10), another instance of the wordplay on Ephraim (see notes on 9:16 and 13:15).
* [14:10] A challenge to the reader in the style of the wisdom literature. (Hosea, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 81 is God’s Appeal to Stubborn Israel.
* [Psalm 81] At a pilgrimage feast, probably harvest in the fall, the people assemble in the Temple in accord with the Sinai ordinances (Ps 81:2–6). They hear a divine word (mediated by a Temple speaker) telling how God rescued them from slavery in Egypt (Ps 81:7–9), gave them the fundamental commandment of fidelity (Ps 81:9–11), which would bring punishment if they refused to obey (Ps 81:12–13). But if Israel repents, God will be with them once again, bestowing protection and fertility (Ps 81:14–16). (Psalms, PSALM 81 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus proclaims the First Commandment.
* [12:13–34] In the ensuing conflicts (cf. also Mk 2:1–3:6) Jesus vanquishes his adversaries by his responses to their questions and reduces them to silence (Mk 12:34).
* [12:13–17] See note on Mt 22:15–22.
* [12:18–27] See note on Mt 22:23–33.
* [12:28–34] See note on Mt 22:34–40. (Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)
Larry Hopp comments that throughout today’s readings we see that it has always been mankind’s propensity to allow the world to lead us astray. No matter how challenging it becomes, our only solution is to turn to Jesus, to love our Savior wholeheartedly. For He can and will provide us with the strength to maintain our unconditional focus upon our loving God.
Dear Heavenly Father, you know our hearts. We truly desire to draw closer to you, to keep an unwavering focus upon you. Please help us to avoid the evil our world is tirelessly pushing upon us and those we love. You are our strength and shield, and we rely on your help to cleanse us of all evil. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen. (Hopp, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The fire of God's love,” by Augustine of Hippo,354-430 A.D.
"Gravity keeps everything in its own place. Fire climbs up, while a stone goes down. Elements that are not in their own place are restless until they find it. This applies also to us. My weight is my love; wherever I go, I am driven by it. By the love of God we catch fire ourselves and, by moving up, find our place and our rest." (excerpt from Confessions 13,9) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Hosea 14:2-10 comments that our words of repentance, whether spoken in the confessional or in the silence of our hearts at prayer, have the power to unlock the chains that have dragged us down. It’s not always easy, though, to find the right words. But that doesn’t matter to the Lord. Just say whatever comes to your heart. Return to me! God implores. I am ready to forgive.
I will heal their defection (14:5). Not only will God forgive us, but he promises to gradually heal us of the urges and drives that cause us to sin. Every time we turn to him and encounter his love, our hearts melt a little bit more, and we find it a little bit easier to act out of love instead of selfishness. Can you hear him crying out? Return to me! Come and be healed!
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” (Meditation on Hosea 14:2-10, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler refers to the pattern of infidelity that Hosea ascribes to Israel that resonants with the behaviour of his wife. Israel will not find security in Assyria and they have to walk in the paths of God. Friar Jude notes that Jesus defines love of God with our intelligence, during persecution, and with our possessions, like the Shema, and adds our mind or conscience.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, reminds us that regular contemplative practice is not an end in and of itself, but for the sake of solidarity with the suffering of the world. We’ve spent much of our history of contemplation seeking individually pure motivation. That’s a real temptation, but are we really going to spend the years ahead seeking only to be motivated to love Jesus on some private level? What does it even mean to love Jesus? What is the positive act of love?
When we are in silent meditation or prayer, that’s what we’re praying is growing inside of us. As we let go of false motivations, and false, ego-based concerns, we’ve got to pray, hope, and desire for an increase in compassion, in caring, in solidarity with human suffering.
I believe that’s what the cross means. The raised arms of Jesus are an act of solidarity and compassion with the human situation. So, as we sit in silence this morning and every morning, let’s pray that’s what we’re praying for: an increase in compassion by letting go of false purity codes and agendas, which we think make us holy or worthy of God’s love. It doesn’t matter if we have perfect motivation or a perfect practice. What is motivating us? Instead of perfection, let’s look for growth. Ultimately, we only see that growth over time as we grow in communion with those who suffer, grow in solidarity with human and beyond-human pain, and with the tears of things. (Rohr, n.d.)
We implore the Spirit to enlighten our examination of our actions that have lacked the love, compassion, and mercy that identify us as ambassadors of Christ.
References
Hopp, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/032825.html
Hosea, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hosea/14?2
Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12?28
Meditation on Hosea 14:2-10. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/03/28/1236181/
Psalms, PSALM 81 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/81?6
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Contemplation: A Path to Compassion. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/contemplation-a-path-to-compassion/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Are Not Far from the Kingdom of God. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=mar28
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