It is 29th March 2019. The readings are from Hosea 14:2-10; and the Gospel from Mark 12:28-34. Without participation we cannot remain in holiness. Participating in the love of God by expressing our human love towards the other and expecting nothing from the other allows us to come closer to God. Our faithfulness is not our effort. Our faithfulness is celebrated only in the presence and acknowledging the power of God in our lives as the futility presents everything without God. More we participate in God’s love expressed in the broken humanity, we become faithful. Idleness and lies cannot be a platform to express our faithfulness to God. Fertility of the soul has to seen in the fruition of charity in one’s life. As we are reflecting the entire week about our personal conversion, repentance and to be back to the rivers of love and goodness, we need to regroup our souls, minds and bodies to give the account of our sins. In the first reading, we read the prophet Hosea’s call to repentance. He calls the people of Israel to repent and return from their disloyalty to God. God alone can love God’s people and heal their exposed wounds of sin. God wants restoration and returning to the Lord unconditionally and without any external force. We all need to return to the Lord now during this Lent. Let us not delay. Our stay away from God would cost us personally and spiritually. Even though we do not deserve and demand forgiveness from God, we can always request for forgiveness from God in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Unless God forgives our sins, we cannot offer the fruit of our lips, the prayer of our hearts, the love of the soul to the Lord. Let us not stay back looking at the sin of the others. No matter who has scandalized you and me, we have no reason to stay back and moreover we have not inspired anyone so far as we should be. Call to holiness in us does not always require a model from outside unless we create one for ourselves with the help of the Lord. You and I are the very models of holiness God himself counts on us. Just because, God heals us completely, loves us freely, and makes us a blessing beyond the boarders we live. Saint Catherine of Siena exclaims, “Our soul cannot live without love, it always wants to love something, for our soul is made of love, as I made it because of love.” The absolution of sins is abundant for the ones who freely repent and humbles before God through the Church. Hymns of repentance is sung in the souls filled with gratitude of forgiveness and love of the Lord. Without attentive and profound listening and learning, we cannot be converted. A deep darkness covers our souls when we refuse to repent and that makes us stumble. (Prov.4:19). Sin intoxicates our souls and make us dependant and depressive all through until we take a direction that is offered by God through the Church. There is no love without faithfulness as there is no forgiveness without justice. The responsorial Psalm acclaims, “ I am the Lord your God; listen to my warning.” (Ps. 80:11). The Gospel teaches us that there must be a balance between loving God and loving our neighbour. One must not chock the other. Love of God has to culminate in loving the other. In the same way loving the other must not undermine and overlook the love of God. The proof of loving other is to be founded in the love of God. Our concrete expressions of love towards the other needs to be manifested in silent sacredness of the soul and sacrifices of love and gratitude to God. In DEUS CARITAS EST (On Christian Love) No.15, Pope BENEDICT XVI taught us : “Love of God and love of neighbour have become one: in the least of the brethren we find Jesus himself, and in Jesus we find God.” May our repentance repair the broken relationships with God and our neighbours. May you have a good day. May God bless you.

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