The Lenten season is quickly passing. We are now about halfway through our Lenten journey. Continuing this week’s theme of listening, there are three lines, from each of today’s scripture readings, that speak to me.
In the first reading, from the prophet Hosea, we hear the haunting refrain in which God calls to the people of Israel, “Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God” (Hosea 14:2-10). The prophets repeat this call many times in the Old Testament. The people of Israel often succumb to temptation and fall into sin. Yet God always patiently calls upon them to return to him. Many times, he sends the prophets to deliver this message. And God always remains faithful to the covenant he had made with Abraham. God always forgives the people when they seek His forgiveness and welcomes them back to him after they sin. As we observe during the season of Lent, God is calling to each of us, just as he calls to the people of Israel long ago. He is calling us to confess our sinfulness and return to him. God is asking us to repent and to resolve to avoid our sins the future.
In the responsorial psalm (Psalm 81), God again calls out in the words of the psalmist: “I am the Lord your God: Hear my voice.” The psalmist bemoans the fact that very often the people of Israel do not listen to, let alone heed, the words of God. Later, the psalmist speaks even more plaintively: “If only my people would hear me.” Then we hear of all the good things that God does for the people of Israel when they do listen to him. In the middle of this Lent, God is asking each of us to listen to and hear his voice. The key to our repentance and improvement in our relationship with God is to listen. Lent is a time for us to listen. A time to listen to God as he calls us to repent of our sins and seek forgiveness. A time when listening can help us to improve our relationship with God.
In the gospel reading (Mark 12:28-34), Jesus answers the scribe in words again reminiscent of the Old Testament: “Hear O Israel.” Once again, we hear how important it is to listen to the word of God. We need to listen to and understand the words of the two great commandments before we can learn to obey them. St. Mark emphasizes this when he tells us that the scribe answers with understanding. The scribe listens to the words of Jesus, and because he listens, he comes to understand the meaning of the two great commandments. Finally, he earns the tremendous reward of hearing the words of Jesus: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” All of us also long to hear these words.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!