Friday of the Third Week of Lent
CONVERSION TO GOD IN LOVE
Many human endeavors fail because God is left out of the picture. Israel wanted to go her own way, relying on her resources and alliances with the mighty of the day. The mighty are toppled by mightier ones, and everything collapses. People today try to establish prosperity and happiness, but at the expense of others, with the force of arms or relying on gadgets, money, or palliatives. We cannot be saved without God. Salvation lies in the love of God and is expressed in the love of our neighbor. The rule of life of Christians is: Love God with your whole being, and your neighbor as yourself; see God in your neighbor and see also a bit of yourself in your neighbor.
Reading 1: Hosea 14:2-9
You’re down but you’re not out.
Prepare your confession
and come back to God.
Pray to him, “Take away our sin,
accept our confession.
Receive as restitution
our repentant prayers.
Assyria won’t save us;
horses won’t get us where we want to go.
We’ll never again say ‘our god’
to something we’ve made or made up.
You’re our last hope. Is it not true
that in you the orphan finds mercy?”
“I will heal their waywardness.
I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out.
I will make a fresh start with Israel.
He’ll burst into bloom like a crocus in the spring.
He’ll put down deep oak tree roots,
he’ll become a forest of oaks!
He’ll become splendid—like a giant sequoia,
his fragrance like a grove of cedars!
Those who live near him will be blessed by him,
be blessed and prosper like golden grain.
Everyone will be talking about them,
spreading their fame as the vintage children of God.
Ephraim is finished with gods that are no-gods.
From now on I’m the one who answers and satisfies him.
I am like a luxuriant fruit tree.
Everything you need is to be found in me.”
If you want to live well,
make sure you understand all of this.
If you know what’s good for you,
you’ll learn this inside and out.
God’s paths get you where you want to go.
Right-living people walk them easily;
wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling.
Gospel: Mark 12:28-34
After that, no one else dared ask a question.
Prayer
Lord, our God,
all throughout history, people have experienced
that we cannot be happy
if we rely merely on our own insights and resources.
God, do not let us idolize
anything made with our own hands,
but may we humbly seek
justice, truth and happiness
in cooperation and communion with you,
as you taught us through Jesus Christ,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
for ever and ever.
Reflection:
17 March 2023
Mark 12:28-34
Listen to him!
Today’s text presents Jesus in the temple, where he was asked by a scribe a theological question: “What is the most important commandment?” The scribes had discovered 613 commandments in the Torah, and the question was: Of these 613, which one is the most important?
Many teachers maintained that the most important of the commandments was the observance of the Sabbath because God himself observed this, as he rested on the seventh day after six days of creation. But Jesus had disagreements with the Pharisees regarding the Law of the Sabbath.
Contrary to what the scribe expected, Jesus cites the creed of Israel, which is given in the Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 6: “Hear, O Israel!” Jesus gives a new way of understanding our relationship with God, where the first command of the Lord is “Hear, O Israel” – ie., “Listen, O chosen people of God”. We are God’s chosen people and must listen to God’s Word and allow it to transform us. Hear O Israel, Adonai is our one God … if you listen to him, you will keep his word.”
“Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your life, with all your strength and with all your mind.” Our entire life project has no other objective than to fulfil the mission entrusted to us on earth – to do the projects of God. And we do not do this because of any compulsion but rather out of the love of God, who has designed our life.
The Pharisees had asked for the most important commandment, but Jesus gave us two commandments: “To Listen” and “to love”. Then he teaches us that the love of God is not possible without loving our neighbour.
According to Luke’s version of this passage, there is only one commandment: ‘Love God and love your neighbour as yourself’. In the Gospel of John, in chapter 15, Jesus says: “This is my only commandment: “love one another.” In the letter to the Romans, Paul says: ‘All the commandments … do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, they are summarized in these words: you will love your neighbour as yourself.’
How are we to live by this commandment of Jesus? First, Listen to him! To listen to the voice of the Lord, we must resolve to travel with him on the road from Galilee to Jerusalem.
Reading Mark’s Gospel is equivalent to making this journey. It may be that having reached the last page, and one does not yet dare to offer one’s life to Jesus. There is no need to be discouraged because of this; we must start all over again, starting again from Galilee.