Love Them Freely
Piety
I will heal their apostasy, 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. Hosea 14:5-8
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. Mark 12:33-34
Study
What have I done to deserve this? Or more popularly, “Woe, is me!”
Did you ever think that? If you are like me, when those words pass through your mind or across your lips, we are usually expressing a more “Woe-is-me!” attitude. We complain about our bad fortune. Do we ever complain about our good fortune? Do you hear lottery winners saying, “No! Take these Mega-Millions winnings away from me.” “Sorry Publisher’s Clearing House Giveaway, I do not need this $5,000 per month for life.”
This phrase (or more properly it's Hebrew ancestor – Jewish uncle?) occurs in the Bible in Job 10:14-15.
If I should sin, you would keep a watch on me, and from my guilt you would not absolve me. If I should be wicked, alas for me! Even if righteous, I dare not hold up my head, sated with shame, drenched in affliction!
The Book of Job is one of the oldest books in the Hebrew Bible. The author or authors of the book are unknown; it was probably composed sometime between the seventh and fifth centuries before the birth of Christ.[i] That makes “Woe is me” as an expression more than 2,500 to 2,700 years old in its original language. (The thesaurus tells us that the first occurrence of it in English would have been Wycliffe's Bible translation in 1382.)
In today’s first reading, the Lord is speaking. Yet the message really is the opposite of “woe is me.” The Lord is saying that He alone will reverse our sins. Woe is NOT what we can expect when we are in a “right relationship” with the Lord. Even if we relied upon foreigners, human power, or idols, the Love of the Lord would help us to overcome all these betrayals and misplaced trust. Simply put, all that we need to do is trust in the Lord alone.
The opposite of “Woe unto me” is “Love unto me.” But more correctly, Love is the Lord and Love of the Lord is the elixir that will help us endure any woe whether we deserve it or not.
The scene painted by Hosea is pretty amazing.
Dew for Israel. Today, one of the major challenges of living in the Middle East remains to have fresh water.
Blossom like the lily. In a desert?
The root of the Lebanon cedar? The Cedar is a symbol of holiness, eternity and peace. In the Middle East? Today?
Dwell in the shade? Blossom like the vine? Despite the hot desert sun and lack of running water?
These verdant signs of abundant life appear in the dark, hot, unforgiving place to live -- the deserts of ancient Palestine. All that is possible thanks alone to the Love of the Lord freely given, we can overcome these obstacles and so much more.
Action
Our money might say, “In God We Trust.” However, our lives do not. Scandals like the college admission bribery issue prove that we really do pursue the almighty dollar so solve all ills rather than trusting alone in our time, talents and treasures and supplication to get ahead on our own accord.
The Scribe recognized this. THE SCRIBE!??!! Tomorrow, the tax collector recognizes how to pray. Not the Pharisee or the Sadducee or the rabbi. These were supposed to be defined by their mission from and to God. Instead, the humility of the scribe puts on the path to the Kingdom thanks to his humility and obedience and service.
His work did not define him.
Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB reminds us that work is not what defines the Benedictine or the disciple, either. Rather, the “single-minded search for God” defines Benedictine spirituality. That is what the monastic (and the Cursillista) pursues beyond everything every other pursuit.
That is what gives the monastic life meaning. That is what frees the monastic heart. The monastic does not exist for work. Creative and productive work are simply meant to enhance the Garden and sustain us while we grow into God.[ii]
Let’s use the remains weeks of Lent to truly prepare to go lightly but firmly into the preparation for the holy days to come.
[i] According to the Introductory notes in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)
[ii] http://www.eriebenedictines.org/daily-rule, Chapter 48, The Daily Manual Labor
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