Monday, July 9, 2018

Readings: Click here for readings

Today, in Mercy, our readings bring us Hosea, the poet-prophet who lived eight centuries before Jesus.  Although his warnings to Israel are stern, Hosea was, at heart, a lover – just as he imagined God to be.

Hosea tells us his personal story of marrying an adulterous wife, forgiving her, and welcoming her back to his love. He uses his own experience to challenge Israel, the “adulterous”, idolatrous beloved of God.

Hosea’s passionate poetry gives us the language and imagery of intense intimacy with God, a God who “allures”, “espouses”, and calls himself “husband”. It is the language of an unbreakable devotion and covenant.

This imagery can enrich our prayer and help us to deepen our realization of how much God loves us. God loves us as a parent would, as a friend would, as a lover would, as a spouse would. Still, God loves us beyond all these, beyond our human comprehension.

Any human love will always remain between two distinct beings. But Divine Love created us and lives within us. We are the very Breath of God Who, in loving us, loves the Divine Self into being.

In our prayer today, what a joy to surrender ourselves to this Amazing Love!