Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Foreword: Please join me this week on a journey, as we follow the Church’s readings through the Book of Hosea, an ancient prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel. I think you and I both will discover that the life and message of Hosea are still relevant and needed today. Reading Hosea can help us to understand and appreciate more God’s love for us in Christ Jesus.
Today, we continue our journey through the Book of Hosea. Yesterday, God, through Hosea, resolves to lead Israel into the desert, a place where she will pay attention and return to her husband, the LORD. Today, God, through Hosea, says he will certainly lead Israel away, but by the pain and punishment of exile, because they have not changed their ways.
Hosea decries Israel’s establishment of its own rulers and religion. In the days before the kingdom divided, the LORD would choose and anoint the king through a prophet (cf. 1 Sam 10:1). But now, Israel has done this without consulting God. “They made kings, but not by my authority” (Hos 8:4a).
In the days of the Tent of Meeting in the desert and the Temple in Jerusalem, the people worshiped the LORD with undivided hearts. But now Israel’s worship has mixed with that of the nations around them. “With their silver and gold, they made idols for themselves, to their own destruction” (8:4c). What is more, Israel had allied itself to the powerful nation of Assyria (cf. 8:9). Hosea expresses the danger of this in a proverb: “When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind” (8:7ab). They sowed an alliance that will result in a whirlwind of destruction. By the LORD’s design, it will be Assyria who will plunder Israel’s capital city of Samaria and scatter the people into exile.
Reflection: What is the state of my relationship with God right now? What things have I established in my life or daily routine that might be taking me away from God? How much time do I spend in intentional prayer compared to that in watching videos and shows? For Christians today, the challenge is living in a culture not always conducive to holy living. Let us return to the LORD, our God before it’s too late.
Reflection by Br. Luke Kral, OSB
Posted in Articles for Lent, Daily Reflections, Lenten Resources