Friday March 9
THIRD WEEK OF LENT -- FRIDAY
Introduction
Many human endeavors fail because God is left out of the picture. Israel wanted to go her own way, relying on her resources and alliances with the mighty of the day. The mighty are toppled by mightier ones, and everything collapses. People today try to establish prosperity and happiness, but at the expense of others, with the force of arms or relying on gadgets, money, or palliatives. We cannot be saved without God. Salvation lies in love of God and is expressed in love of our neighbor. The rule of life of Christians is: Love God with your whole being, and your neighbor as yourself; see God in your neighbor and see also a bit of yourself in your neighbor.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
all throughout history people have experienced
that we cannot be happy
if we rely merely on our own insights and resources.
God, do not let us idolize
anything made with our own hands,
but may we humbly seek
justice, truth and happiness
in cooperation and communion with you,
as you taught us through Jesus Christ
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever.
Reading 1 Hos 14:2-10
Thus says the LORD:
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.
Responsorial 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.
Verse before the Gospel: Mt 4:17
Repent, says the Lord;
the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Gospel Mk 12:28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and 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.
Intercessions
– That Christians everywhere may not be people of legalisms and outward observances, but people with a heart who do what they have to do and more, because they are God’s children, we pray:
– That the nations of the world may respect and love one another and build peace and progress on the basis of justice and equitable sharing, we pray:
– That our anemic and dried-up love may become rich and spontaneous, like a fresh breath of life and joy brightening the lives of those around us and a wordless song of praise to God, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God and Father,
we are gathered here for this eucharist
to celebrate the coming among us
of your life and love through your Son.
May our offering be the recognition
that you loved us
before we could love you.
Help us to express our grateful love to you
by extending our hands to all
who are called to be brothers and sisters
of Jesus Christ, our Lord and brother for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord, our God and Father,
you have broken for us
the life-giving bread of your Son.
By the strength of the eucharist,
may we love you, our living God,
with all that is in us
and our neighbor far and near
as much as we love ourselves.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
To love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself is much more important than any ritual sacrifices. It is true worship! May God bless you, that Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary:
In contrast to the stubborn people (in yesterday’s readings) who refuse to listen to God’s voice and feel His finger, today we have a teacher of the Law who soulfully listens to Jesus and recognizes the truth of his words. Now he wants to know, in Jesus’s very own voice, what the greatest commandment is. Having made active listening a habit of the soul, the teacher then recognizes in the voice of Jesus the ancient truth of the commandments he had found in Scripture, and he completely agrees with what Jesus said. He recognizes in Jesus the very same voice of God whom his ancestors heard. Jesus is quick to perceive and approve of the man’s integrity and gives him his vote of confidence: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Anyone who truly listens to the voice of God and recognizes its truthfulness cannot be far away from the kingdom. Let us resolve to walk within hearing range of God.
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Jewish tradition lists 365 prohibitions, one for each day of the year, and 248 positive commandments, as many as the components of the human body according to the anatomy of the time. The scribes were arguing about the order of importance of these commandments. Jesus points to the first and the core of these commands which is not about a way of behaving but the radical attitude that governs all commandments: love of God and neighbor. Just as a father does not love his children for only a few hours a day or when it’s his turn to do so, thus must a Christian love in every thought and action.
