Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord. PS 94:8
HOSEA 5:15-6:6 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
The prophet Hosea is writing about a time in salvation history when the people of God have drifted far away from the path of truth and righteousness. Yet it is a perfect description of our own poor, broken, sinful, ignorant, world today.
How far removed we are from God's vision for us and the world He created with such great fatherly love, care, and tenderness. Turn our hearts back to You, Lord, we cannot survive much longer if we continue on the self-destructive path we are right now. If we do, we will turn like rabid dogs upon each other and tear each other to pieces.
How did we drift so far from the path of righteousness? One wrong step that was not corrected has led us to take several more until we are lost in a barren desert. We are panting for You how much longer will we ignore our misery before we turn to You? How much longer will we deny the truth that we need You and without You we have no hope. Only You can heal us. Only in the Sacrament of Reconciliation can You bind our wounds and pour the healing oil and wine of the Sacraments over us and bring us to life.
With God nothing is impossible. Turn our faces back to You, Lord, so the light of a new dawn will illumine us and bring with it healing and life. We deserve to be chastised but after the chastisement, pour Your life-giving water upon us and revive our souls.
I know that You never cease lamenting over our waywardness, our fickleness, our frailties, our short memories, but we are also grateful for Your faithful love. Thank You for not treating us as we deserve but with great mercy, tenderness, compassion, and love. Lift this pall that the pandemic has cast on the world so we can return back to our churches with renewed heart and spirit and offer the Father the only Sacrifice that is pleasing to Him and has the power to release upon the world a fresh outpouring of His Spirit in a glorious new Pentecost.
PSALM 51:3-4,18-21 ©
My Soul's Beloved.
My Soul's Beloved.
Hear the prayers of Your faithful remnant that rises up night and day to the eternal throne of God from every corner of the globe and renew the face of the earth.
You are the Eternal Word of God, and You have accomplished all that the Father desired, now Beloved, choose this time, let this be the moment when God's favor will move across the world and touch all hearts so all may know You and acknowledge that our redemption comes from You alone.
LUKE 18:9-14 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
My Soul's Beloved,
If we knew often we resemble the Pharisee that You describe in today's Gospel we would be horrified. But the truth is that we are so blind we are unaware of our grossly puffed-up egos.
Too often our conceit is covert and we can even fool ourselves that we are better than we actually are in truth. Anyone who keeps a mental record of their charity, their good works, their generosity, and has a smug, self-satisfied feeling that they have done their part can be certain that nothing they have given is pleasing to You.
Like Joseph in the Old Testament, all we have is given to us by God and rightfully belongs to Him. We are duty-bound to share what we have with the Church and those in need. Too often our possessions and our charity become a source of self-righteousness and conceit. We credit our own talents, ingenuity, and hard work for what we have received instead of God.
It is generally the poor who are more generous than the rich. They know what it means to be hungry and to lack the basic necessities. The little ones of this world are despised and looked down upon but it is they whom You will exalt for they are meek and humble of heart. Only sinners who are aware they have sinned can repent, humbly ask God for forgiveness, mercy, and pardon, and be cleansed of all sin.
No comments:
Post a Comment