The Treasure of Mercy

~~~ Hosea 6:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Luke 18:9-14 ~~~

 It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.

It does not matter how much you sacrifice for the Lord;
if you still let prejudice and hatred linger in your heart
 you are not returning to the Lord with your whole heart.
Is it not mercy we want from God?
We are made in his likeness
therefore we must learn how to extend his mercy.

...let us strive to know the LORD...

How can we strive to know the Lord if we refuse
 to show his mercy toward others?
Maybe this is the message of Lent...mercy...
not just mercy from God for yourself, but to let his mercy
emerge from within your own heart.

O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

His mercy is given freely to you.
His mercy is not for you to walk away
smugly with the knowledge of his mercy.

You have been given the treasure of mercy,
what will you do with it?

If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts.

Some treasures are not meant to be kept to yourself.
It takes a humble pouring out of oneself
 to show compassion and mercy.

His Blessings are more than enough to share.
~~~ Peace ~~~

Brand New Day for You

Saint Maria Goretti, Pray for us!

~~~ Amos 8:4-6, 9-12 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Matthew 9: 9-13 ~~~

"...Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD,
when I will send famine upon the land:
Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water,
but for hearing the word of the LORD.

Then shall they wander from sea to sea
and rove from the north to the east
In search of the word of the LORD,
but they shall not find it."

A famine for hearing the word of the Lord would indeed be a catastrophic day.

And yet how many times have we heard but not listened to the word? More importantly how many times have we heard and willfully ignored the word?

How many times have we denied the word?

When we are without the word firmly planted in our heart we are lost.

There is nothing to really anchor us and so we are tossed about

like toys in the bathtub water.

What will happen next?

Which way will the tide carry us?

Will the waves cause us to capsize?

If the words of the Lord are an integral part of the fabric of who you are no one and nothing can take that away from you. Even if someone would come along and take away your Bible they could never take away what you have stored in your heart.

Tuck the words of the Lord into your heart let them be alive there...

feel them giving you life...they are the green pasture...the living water...

His words are essential to our ability to practice our faith.

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet", sings Amy Grant.

The words of the Lord contain all the advice you will ever need.

Matthew, a tax collector, when called to follow;

got up asked no questions and took his place at the side of Jesus.

"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

Jesus was challenging his critics to study and notice what was changing since he came to town. He had a new attitude about how to treat other people.

He was reminding them to go back to the scripture they should have known.

"For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts." Hosea 6:6

Jesus intended to model love above all else.

His mercy is greater than any sacrifice we could conceive.

There is nothing we could sacrifice that would equal the mercy

Jesus offers to each of us.

Jesus calls when you are living your life.

Did you notice Matthew was working?

Matthew may have been longing for a change

not knowing how to make it a reality.

Jesus makes the impossible possible.

Jesus showed Matthew a better way to make a life!

He never ceases to surprise us!