Daily Readings - Fri Mar 28 2025
Hosea
1Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall!2Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.3Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount war-horses. We will never again say 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion."4"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.5I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots;6his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.7Men will dwell again in his shade. He will flourish like the grain. He will blossom like a vine, and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon.8O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a green pine tree; your fruitfulness comes from me."9Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.
Mark
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
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.