Humility and Conversion

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to assess the attitudes and prejudices that have distorted our understanding of our brothers and sisters as precious people who share Jesus' love and care.

Peace or Power

The Reading from the Prophet Hosea examines Insincere Conversion.

j. [5:15] Jer 29:13; Ps 78:34.

* [6:2] After two days; on the third day: presumptuous Israel expects that soon God will renew them (cf. Ez 37). (Hosea, Chapter 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [6:5] The word of God proclaimed by the prophets is effective, it accomplished what it promised: punishment. (Hosea, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 51 prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought.

* [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. The two parts interlock by repetition of “blot out” in the first verse of each section (Ps 51:3, 11), of “wash (away)” just after the first verse of each section (Ps 51:4) and just before the last verse (Ps 51:9) of the first section, and of “heart,” “God,” and “spirit” in Ps 51:12, 19. The first part (Ps 51:3–10) asks deliverance from sin, not just a past act but its emotional, physical, and social consequences. The second part (Ps 51:11–19) seeks something more profound than wiping the slate clean: nearness to God, living by the spirit of God (Ps 51:12–13), like the relation between God and people described in Jer 31:33–34. Nearness to God brings joy and the authority to teach sinners (Ps 51:15–16). Such proclamation is better than offering sacrifice (Ps 51:17–19). The last two verses express the hope that God’s good will toward those who are cleansed and contrite will prompt him to look favorably on the acts of worship offered in the Jerusalem Temple (Ps 51:19 [20–21]). (Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus 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 | USCCB, n.d.)

Angela Maynard (2021) recalls that someone pointed out that we, as Christians, are quick to judge.  This is contrary to the teachings of the gospels.  Jesus associated with anybody and everybody—particularly those to whom the Pharisee refers.

Jesus uses one of the seven deadly sins, pride in contrast with the heavenly virtue of humility, to teach us the importance of attitude when we pray.  It’s easy to get caught up in the how to pray and where to pray.  Let us take the opportunities of the Lenten season to perform some self-examination around the manner in which we pray.

“Our strength is prayer, and the prayer of a humble person is the weakness of God.  The Lord is weak only in this one sense:  He is weak before the prayers of his people.” -- Pope Francis (Maynard, n.d.)

 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.)

Friar Jude Winkler was not available at publication time.

 The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 18:9-14 comments that this parable reminds us that God wants our obedience to flow from our love for him. No amount of sacrifice or good deeds can justify us before him; only God can do that. The things we do are important to God, but on their own, they can never make us right with him.

If you want to know the freedom of God’s forgiveness, then put aside your list of good deeds—and failures—and come to the Lord with a humble heart. Put your faith in his mercy and the salvation Jesus has won for you. Offer him your love and sorrow for your sins. He will surely forgive, for “the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

“Thank you for your mercy, Lord!” (Meditation on Luke 18:9-14, n.d.) 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Laurie Brock who witnesses how God gathers together the “scraps” of our lives, reweaving them into a unified and beautiful whole. We aren’t all that adept at piecing and reforming. For that, we need God’s quilting prowess. We need God to remind us that no part of our selves and souls is beyond redemption, beyond being useful in another way.

 

Mistakes are pieced together with threads of God’s compassion. Personas we wore when we were younger but no longer fit can be altered. God’s love provides the framework to sew all these parts and pieces into something renewed, refashioned, and redeemed.

God treasures the things we throw away or stop caring about. God adores these scraps of our selves. God longs for us to sit in the holy space long enough to see the quilt that God creates from what we thought were worthless scraps. God touches those scraps like women over centuries. God fingers them, noting the beauty of small patterns. God reshapes our scraps into new things, useful things, even extraordinarily beautiful things. (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Spirit to guide our contemplation of our relationships and inspire our action to restore the love and compassion that we may have neglected to offer the people in our environment.

References

Hosea, Chapter 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved March 14, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hos/5?15#36005015 

Hosea, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 14, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hosea/6?1 

Luke, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 14, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/18?9 

Maynard, A. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Online Ministries. Retrieved March 14, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-march-14-2026 

Meditation on Luke 18:9-14. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 14, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/03/14/1518661/ 

Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 14, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51?3 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved March 14, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/what-do-we-do-with-sin-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). God, Be Merciful to Me a Sinner! Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 14, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Habits and Hope

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to ponder the power of the habits and security concerns to distract us from actions that rely on faith and Providence to bring us fullness of life.

Bread of Life

The Reading from the Book of James presents Temptation and Trial.

* [1:12] Temptation: the Greek word used here is the same one used for “trials” in Jas 1:2. The crown of life: in ancient Palestine, crowns or wreaths of flowers were worn at festive occasions as signs of joy and honor. In the Hellenistic world, wreaths were given as a reward to great statesmen, soldiers, athletes. Life: here means eternal life. He promised: some manuscripts read “God” or “the Lord,” while the best witnesses do not specify the subject of “promised.”

* [1:13–15] It is contrary to what we know of God for God to be the author of human temptation (Jas 1:13). In the commission of a sinful act, one is first beguiled by passion (Jas 1:14), then consent is given, which in turn causes the sinful act. When sin permeates the entire person, it incurs the ultimate penalty of death (Jas 1:15).

* [1:16–18] The author here stresses that God is the source of all good and of good alone, and the evil of temptation does not come from him.

* [1:17] All good giving and every perfect gift may be a proverb written in hexameter. Father of lights: God is here called the Father of the heavenly luminaries, i.e., the stars, sun, and moon that he created (Gn 1:14–18). Unlike orbs moving from nadir to zenith, he never changes or diminishes in brightness.

* [1:18] Acceptance of the gospel message, the word of truth, constitutes new birth (Jn 3:5–6) and makes the recipient the firstfruits (i.e., the cultic offering of the earliest grains, symbolizing the beginning of an abundant harvest) of a new creation; cf. 1 Cor 15:20; Rom 8:23. (James, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 94 is a lament of an individual who is threatened by wicked people.

* [Psalm 94] A lament of an individual who is threatened by wicked people. The danger affects the whole community. Calling upon God as judge (Ps 94:1–2), the Psalm complains about oppression of the holy community by people within (Ps 94:3–7). Bold declarations of faith follow: denunciation of evildoers (Ps 94:8–11) and assurance to the just (Ps 94:12–15). The Psalm continues with further lament (Ps 94:16–19) and ends with strong confidence in God’s response (Ps 94:20–23). (James, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark presents The Leaven of the Pharisees.

* [8:15] The leaven of the Pharisees…of Herod: the corruptive action of leaven (1 Cor 5:6–8; Gal 5:9) was an apt symbol of the evil dispositions both of the Pharisees (Mk 8:11–13; 7:5–13) and of Herod (Mk 6:14–29) toward Jesus. The disciples of Jesus are warned against sharing such rebellious attitudes toward Jesus; cf. Mk 8:17, 21. (Mark, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

Margo Minnich comments that the words of James pull our attention away from the illusion of self-sufficiency and reorient our hearts towards God, the true source of all that sustains us. In Ignatian spirituality, this moves us toward the grace of faith as we trust that God will indeed provide and gratitude as we open our eyes to God’s continuous work in our lives.

The miraculous feedings of the crowds were never just about bread and fish. They were signs that God provides for us. We do not need to be dependent on our own limited resources, but on God’s limitless love for us. Jesus calls the disciples and us to remember and trust. 

Today, we can prayerfully reflect on where we are experiencing scarcity or insecurity in our lives. Is it a scarcity of time, energy, clarity, or hope? We can remember what “miracles” God has done in our own lives and we can ask God for the gift of faith that He will continue to provide for us. (Minnich, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Heed the truth of the Gospel,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).

"The apostles are ordered to watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They are warned not to be involved in the disputes of the Jews. The works of the law are now to be viewed in the light of faith. They are forewarned that they, into whose time and age the truth had appeared incarnate, should judge nothing except which lies within the position of hope in likeness of the truth that is revealed. They are warned against allowing the doctrine of the Pharisees, who are unaware of Christ, to corrupt the effectiveness of the truth of the gospel." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 16.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 8:14-21 comments that like the disciples, we can focus on our immediate needs and problems, which can keep us from hearing the Lord as he seeks to teach us the eternal truths of his kingdom.

Of course God is concerned about your daily needs. But don’t let them be the only things you bring to him in prayer. Take time to listen to him, to hear him on his terms. Remember: he wants to reveal his heart to you. He wants to share his thoughts with you. He wants to give you his perspective on your life.

So listen for God’s voice today. Even if all you “hear” at first is silence, know that he is present to you. Rest in him; wait on him. Let his word become the bread that sustains you.

“Lord, give me ears to hear your voice.” (Meditation on Mark 8:14-21, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that James speaks about temptation. It is not sent by God but originates in pride, jealousy, and entitlement. Reflect on God as a parent who gives everything we need. The disciples miss the meaning of the leaven of Pharisees. Jesus is not referring to the bread that they forgot to bring. The teaching of the Pharisee is dangerous because if their teaching is accepted in the smallest way, it may take hold. Friar Jude warns about the leaven, today, of mass media and our need to sort it out to make sure we are on God’s path.

Stephen Copeland recounts how the stories of the desert fathers and mothers have inspired modern Christians to take contemplative practice more seriously. Twentieth-century authors like Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen helped to reclaim the importance of this desert form of Christianity, forging a path for laypeople to experience the transforming way of contemplation, which had long been reserved for monastics and religious.

 Richard Rohr writes about why this ancient tradition still matters: “It is a unique window into how Jesus was first understood, before the church became an imperial, highly organized, competitive religion.” [2]

A core principle of the desert—and something worth considering while cultivating our own inner freedom—was the notion of apatheia. Author Laura Swan explains: “Apatheia is purity of heart. The ammas [desert mothers] teach us to intentionally let go of all that keeps us from the single-minded pursuit of God: feelings and thoughts that bind us, cravings and addictions that diminish our sense of worth, and attachments to self-imposed perfectionism. Apatheia is nourished by simplicity grounded in abundance of the soul.” [3]

Such letting go can feel like emptiness. It can feel disorienting, crazy, nonlinear—terrifying even—as if we are like the desert fathers and mothers, leaving behind the comforts of the city for the vast emptiness of the desert. This powerful metaphor invites the disruption of our own unhealthy patterns, as we interrupt the ways that we are being controlled (sometimes unconsciously) by the ways of the world and our false selves to make room for something deeper to be born within us: For aspects of the true self to be discovered. For our awareness of the divine within us to grow. For love to expand. For the same spiritual truths that arose in the desert centuries before to dwell and deepen within our souls. (Copeland, 2025)

We invoke the Spirit to alert us to programs and policies that may be leaven of pride, jealousy, and entitlement tempting us away from the “Bread of Life”.

References

Copeland, S. (2025, March 13). Inner Liberation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 17, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/inner-liberation/ 

James, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/james/1?12 

Mark, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/8?14 

Meditation on Mark 8:14-21. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved February 17, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/02/16/1500523/ 

Minnich, M. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved February 17, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-february-17-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 94 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/94?12 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 17, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/