Friday, 29 February 2008

Book of Hosea 14,2-10.

Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return to the LORD; Say to him, "Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls. Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; We shall say no more, 'Our god,' to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion." I will heal their defection, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily; He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; They shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him. "I am like a verdant cypress tree"-- Because of me you bear fruit! Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths of the LORD, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them.


Psalms 81(80),6-11.14.17.

Who made it a decree for Joseph when he came out of the land of Egypt. II I hear a new oracle:
"I relieved their shoulders of the burden; their hands put down the basket.
In distress you called and I rescued you; unseen, I spoke to you in thunder; At the waters of Meribah I tested you and said: Selah
'Listen, my people, I give you warning! If only you will obey me, Israel!
There must be no foreign god among you; you must not worship an alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open wide your mouth that I may fill it.'
But even now if my people would listen, if Israel would walk in my paths,
But Israel I would feed with the finest wheat, satisfy them with honey from the rock."


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12,28-34.

One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, 'He is One and there is no other than he.' And 'to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself' is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that (he) answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

ALL-CALL

"I will heal their defection, I will love them freely." –Hosea 14:5

The Christian life is all or nothing. The first commandment is: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mk 12:30). This is the basis of the law and the prophets and of the whole Christian life. Because Christianity is a matter of giving our "all" to the Lord, we all can be Christians. No matter how weak and limited we are, we all have an "all."

Because the Christian life is a matter of giving our all, we all can live it right now. No matter how big a mess we've made of our lives, we all have an all, always. Christianity is available to all who will give all, always. However, if we invest any of our time, money, or energy into something other than God's will, we've squandered our all, and only have a part. Then we can't obey the first commandment of Christianity, and we can't obtain the precious pearl of God's kingdom, for it costs all that we have (Mt 13:46).

However, if we repent of giving something to anything other than the Lord, we get our all back so we can then give it to the Lord. During this Lent, look at the all of the crucified Jesus. He gave His all and wants our all because He loves us unconditionally, sacrificially, and eternally. Give Him your life in return – all of it.