Daily Readings - Fri Mar 28 2025
Hosea
1Israel, convert to the Lord your God. For you have been ruined by your own iniquity2Take these words with you and return to the Lord. And say to him, "Remove all iniquity and accept the good. And we will repay the calves of our lips3Assur will not save us; we will not ride on horses. Neither will we say any more, ‘The works of our hands are our gods,’ for those that are in you will have mercy on the orphan.4I will heal their contrition; I will love them spontaneously. For my wrath has been turned away from them5I will be like the dew; Israel will spring forth like the lily, and his root will spread out like that of the cedars of Lebanon6His branches will advance, and his glory will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance will be like that of the cedars of Lebanon7They will be converted, sitting in his shadow. They will live on wheat, and they will grow like a vine. His memorial will be like the wine of the cedars of Lebanon8Ephraim will say, "What are idols to me any more?" I will listen to him, and I will set him straight like a healthy spruce tree. Your fruit has been found by me9Who is wise and will understand this? Who has understanding and will know these things? For the ways of the Lord are straight, and the just will walk in them, but truly, the traitors will fall in them
Mark
28And one of the scribes, who had heard them arguing, drew near to him. And seeing that he had answered them well, he questioned him as to which was the first commandment of all29And Jesus answered him: "For the first commandment of all is this: ‘Listen, O Israel. The Lord your God is one God30And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whole mind, and from your whole strength. This is the first commandment.31But the second is similar to it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.32And the scribe said to him: Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth that there is one God, and there is no other beside him33and that he should be loved from the whole heart, and from the whole understanding, and from the whole soul, and from the whole strength. And to love one’s neighbor as one’s self is greater than all holocausts and sacrifices.34And Jesus, seeing that he had responded wisely, said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that, no one dared to question him
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the essence of our relationship with God and with one another. In the first reading from Hosea, we hear a heartfelt call to repentance and a promise of restoration. Hosea urges Israel to turn back to the Lord, acknowledging the ruin caused by their own sin. The prophet paints a vivid picture of God's mercy, using natural imagery like dew and lilies, to assure the people of healing and new life if they return to Him. This passage reminds us that God's love is always ready to forgive and renew us, no matter how far we may have strayed.
In the Gospel, Jesus engages with a scribe who asks about the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by quoting the Shema from Deuteronomy, emphasizing that the first and foremost commandment is to love God with our whole being—heart, soul, mind, and strength. He then adds the second commandment, to love our neighbor as ourselves, stating that there is no commandment greater than these. The scribe agrees, acknowledging the truth of Jesus' words, and Jesus commends him, saying he is not far from the kingdom of God. This exchange highlights the centrality of love in living out our faith.
These readings are deeply connected, as both emphasize the transformative power of love. Hosea shows us God's merciful love, which invites us to return and be healed, while the Gospel reminds us that our love for God and neighbor is the foundation of a life lived in accordance with His will. In our daily lives, we are called to embody this love—loving God with all that we are and expressing that love through our actions toward others. Let us reflect on how we can prioritize love in our decisions and relationships, trusting that it will lead us closer to God and to the fullness of life He promises.