We are now about halfway through our Lenten journey. In today’s scripture readings, there are three lines, one from each reading, that speak to me in a special way.
In the first reading, from the prophet Hosea (Hosea 14:2-10), we hear the haunting refrain in which God calls to the people of Israel, “Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God”. 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 them to return to him. Many times, he sends the prophets to deliver this message. 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 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 in 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 to 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 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 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 long to hear these words from Jesus. If we listen to the words of God, we will be able to answer God with understanding, just as the scribe does. During this Lent, let us strive to listen to and understand the words of God.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!