False acts of contrition

Come, let us return to the LORD,
...he will heal us;
...he will bind our wounds.

He will revive us after two days;
on the third day he will raise us up,
to live in his presence.

Let us know,
let us strive to know the LORD;
as certain as the dawn is his coming,
and his judgment shines forth like the light of day!

He will come to us like the rain,
like spring rain that waters the earth.

What beautiful words.

What a wonderful description of God’s power to forgive and to heal.

What a lovely beginning to today’s first reading (Hosea 6:1-6).

But these sweet-sounding words are false acts of contrition.

This pious poetry cannot fool God, the judge of all hearts.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, be merciful to me – a sinner.

This passage should strike all of us to the heart.

It certainly frightens me, for I sometimes pride myself at being able to put words of repentance together in half-decent ways and yet I so often feel that I am wallowing in my imperfections.

Your piety is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that early passes away.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, be merciful to me – a sinner.

What can we do?

God shows us the way at the end of this reading: greater charity and deeper truth.

Pious words and devotions are not enough.

For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Let us pray for each other
and DO what God wants us to do.