Readings for Friday of the Third Week of Lent[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: 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, says the LORD,
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Hos 14:2-10
This prophetic work has as a emotional motive on the part of the author. An ongoing analogy is playing out using the backdrop of an unfortunate marriage. Hosea’s prophecy paints Israel as an unfaithful wife (seduced away by idolatry and hardened by ignoring the poor) and God as the jealous husband who wants her back in spite of her faults. The language used in this selection, at the very end of the book, has that flavor to it. The passage can be summed up with; in spite of your sins, come back to God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17
R. (see 11 and 9a) I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
An unfamiliar speech I hear:
"I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"Unseen, I answered you in thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, will you not hear me?"
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17
Psalm 81 is a prophetic liturgy. The voice is a priest speaking in God’s name. We hear in it the Lord’s promise of compassion and the warning to listen to God and turn back to Him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes, when he came forward
and heard them disputing and saw how well he (Jesus)
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 12:28-34
In the dialogue with the scribe Jesus quotes the opening verse Shamá (hear), the principle response to the covenant with God – the Father demands unconditional love from His people. Jesus goes on to incorporate a more inclusive element by saying; “The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.” While both concepts were present in the tradition of the time, the combination is originally with Jesus – something new. In following Jesus’ new teaching, the scribe earns praise from the Lord; “You are not far from the kingdom of God."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
We all have a very good understanding of the first and greatest commandment. It stems from the šema (pronounced Shāmá) meaning “hear” in Hebrew because when they recite it (daily) it begins “Hear O Israel…” The understanding that this was “First of all the commandments” was common among the Hebrew people of Jesus’ day.
When Jesus said; “The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." He took it much further. While some of the more liberal rabbinical writings of the time had pushed for the Jews to love each other, they had not, as Jesus did, meant to include all mankind.
It is difficult for anyone to follow this commandment as Jesus did. He set a very high bar for us. He later explains that we are to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, go the extra mile. All this we are expected to do. Looking back at the past year, it does not take us long to see where we have failed in this regard. On this Friday we offer our abstinence for all those times in the past year we have failed to honor God as first in our lives and all those times we have failed to love our neighbor.
And just in case we are feeling like splitting hairs, when Jesus says Love your neighbor as yourself, he does not mean we can treat our neighbor shabbily if we happen to have low self esteem and treat ourselves poorly. In those cases we are to treat our neighbor better than we do ourselves.
There is a scene in Pygmalion (and its musical adaptation My Fair Lady) in which there is dialogue between the Professor and Liza in which the Professor, attempting to defend his insensitive treatment of his pupil says (paraphrased) “The question is not whether I have treated you badly, but rather have I treated anyone else better?” Christ calls us to treat every one with the dignity and respect due them as creations of God. In the Christian, there is no place for bad manners and ill will.
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. (Hosea 14:10)
Pax
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: 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, says the LORD,
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Hos 14:2-10
This prophetic work has as a emotional motive on the part of the author. An ongoing analogy is playing out using the backdrop of an unfortunate marriage. Hosea’s prophecy paints Israel as an unfaithful wife (seduced away by idolatry and hardened by ignoring the poor) and God as the jealous husband who wants her back in spite of her faults. The language used in this selection, at the very end of the book, has that flavor to it. The passage can be summed up with; in spite of your sins, come back to God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm:[4] Psalm 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17
R. (see 11 and 9a) I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
An unfamiliar speech I hear:
"I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"Unseen, I answered you in thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, will you not hear me?"
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them."
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17
Psalm 81 is a prophetic liturgy. The voice is a priest speaking in God’s name. We hear in it the Lord’s promise of compassion and the warning to listen to God and turn back to Him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes, when he came forward
and heard them disputing and saw how well he (Jesus)
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 12:28-34
In the dialogue with the scribe Jesus quotes the opening verse Shamá (hear), the principle response to the covenant with God – the Father demands unconditional love from His people. Jesus goes on to incorporate a more inclusive element by saying; “The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.” While both concepts were present in the tradition of the time, the combination is originally with Jesus – something new. In following Jesus’ new teaching, the scribe earns praise from the Lord; “You are not far from the kingdom of God."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
We all have a very good understanding of the first and greatest commandment. It stems from the šema (pronounced Shāmá) meaning “hear” in Hebrew because when they recite it (daily) it begins “Hear O Israel…” The understanding that this was “First of all the commandments” was common among the Hebrew people of Jesus’ day.
When Jesus said; “The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." He took it much further. While some of the more liberal rabbinical writings of the time had pushed for the Jews to love each other, they had not, as Jesus did, meant to include all mankind.
It is difficult for anyone to follow this commandment as Jesus did. He set a very high bar for us. He later explains that we are to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, go the extra mile. All this we are expected to do. Looking back at the past year, it does not take us long to see where we have failed in this regard. On this Friday we offer our abstinence for all those times in the past year we have failed to honor God as first in our lives and all those times we have failed to love our neighbor.
And just in case we are feeling like splitting hairs, when Jesus says Love your neighbor as yourself, he does not mean we can treat our neighbor shabbily if we happen to have low self esteem and treat ourselves poorly. In those cases we are to treat our neighbor better than we do ourselves.
There is a scene in Pygmalion (and its musical adaptation My Fair Lady) in which there is dialogue between the Professor and Liza in which the Professor, attempting to defend his insensitive treatment of his pupil says (paraphrased) “The question is not whether I have treated you badly, but rather have I treated anyone else better?” Christ calls us to treat every one with the dignity and respect due them as creations of God. In the Christian, there is no place for bad manners and ill will.
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. (Hosea 14:10)
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Jesus and the Teacher of the Law” by Johann Christoph Weigel, 1695
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
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