3rd Week of Lent
17th March 2023 (Friday) Readings and Reflection
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Reading of the Day
First Reading: Hosea 14:1-9
Thus says the Lord: Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, "Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, 'Our God', to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy." I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the corn; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit. Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
Psalm 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17 (R. see 11a, 9b)
R/. I am the Lord your God: listen to my voice.
Gospel : Mark 12:28b-34
At that time: One of the scribes came up to Jesus and asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbour as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: The best offering!
Indicative: God’s love is everlasting and abounding. In response to this, we need to repent and return. Then we will experience the immensity of His blessings{alertSuccess}
1. Offerings and sacrifices are part of the worship of every religion. The purpose is not to appease or placate God. It is not a barter system where there is an exchange between prayers-offerings and favours-blessings
2. Today the gospel makes it clear that there is something more worth than burnt offerings and sacrifices. It is love, which is twofold, for God and others. This does not mean that rituals and offerings are not important or not needed
3. This only means that this two-pronged love is the highest priority. This is the greatest and first commandment. Nothing else can dominate or substitute this priority. Further, this also implies that all our offerings and ceremonies must be oriented to manifest and foster this double path of love
4. The more our religious practices become channels of love for God and others, the more they become worth. Loving God is not just following a commandment. It is a fitting response to God’s own loving us. God loves us so much and cares for us so much. Even though we defect from Him and collapse, He does not reject or abandon us
5. As soon as we repent and return to Him, He forgives all our iniquities. Not only that. He will bless us doubly with prosperity and joy. If our loving God becomes an act of gratitude and response to God loving us, our loving others is the expression and effect of loving God
6. In fact, these two are not separate or opposites. Love for God is the foundation and spring for love for others. Love for others is the outflow and authentication of love for God
Imperative: We will be wise to integrate love for God and love for others. Faith and charity are two sides of the same coin. One cannot be complete without the other{alertSuccess}