Sat Mar 26

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 Today's readings remind me of the words spoken as we receive ashes on our foreheads at the beginning of Lent: Repent and believe the Gospel. They are the heart of this holy season.

The first reading is from the book of the prophet Hosea. (Hos 6:1-6) Hosea prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel that had split off from the southern kingdom of Judah after King Solomon's apostasies. The king, priests and people had spiritually prostituted themselves away from the God of the Covenant. Two golden calves had been erected in the north to keep people worshipping there, rather than going south to the Jerusalem temple. They were sacrificing and paying homage to Baal and Astarte, gods of the Caananite tribes. Hosea has prophesied that Israel would be torn to pieces for their unfaithfulness until its inhabitants came to their senses and returned to God, their faithful Husband: “Come, let us return to the LORD, it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds. He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence.” The Lord is grieved like an abandoned spouse, and ready to forgive if Israel will return to Him with repentance and love that will make their religious observance genuine: “Your piety is like a morning cloud, like the dew that early passes away. For this reason I smote them through the prophets, I slew them by the words of my mouth; For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Psalm 51 reminds us that a humbled, repentant heart makes our religious observance pleasing to God:
“For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.”

Today's Gospel parable of the self-righteous Pharisee and repentant tax collector (Lk 18:9-14) calls me to a deeper, more honest self-examination. What attitudes lurk in my heart when I worship and pray? Resentment? Condemnation? Unforgiveness? Smugly self-justified for my observances? A line from Paul's Letter to the Romans comes to mind: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Rom 3:23-24) All of us sin – in thoughts, words, actions or inaction. But God freely and lovingly justifies and lifts us up when we approach Him with repentant hearts. God is so good; may no one – not even our own deceived minds – cause us to doubt that His love welcomes us always. A change of heart – this is what Lent and the Gospel of Jesus are all about.

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032622.cfm

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