Words and Deeds

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator

"Don't talk of stars burning above; if you're in love, show me." (Lerner and Lowe, Show Me.)

These lyrics come from one of the climactic songs in the popular motion picture, My Fair Lady. Eliza is singing it to Freddie Einsford-Hill who has been professing his love in the most eloquent words he can muster. However, Eliza has had enough words to last her for a life time.

In today's first reading, Hosea writes: Return, Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words, and return to the LORD (Hosea 14:2-3a). The words that God needs to hear from the people Israel are words of repentance and sorrow for their sins.

Those of us who grew up in the pre-Vatican II Church will remember the prominence of the Sacrament of Penance, especially during Lent. As a boy in parochial school, I remember that our teachers would march us over to church on the Thursday before the First Friday of the month. Every child would go to confession. People with a few more grey hairs than mine talk of going to confession every Saturday so that they could receive communion on Sunday. It was simply part of Catholic life for one to "say" that one was sorry for his/her sins.

The Gospel reading for today illustrates that it was also necessary to back those words up with actions. We showed that we were sorry for our sins by our love for God and our love for neighbor.

Lent is at the midpoint. As we prepare to celebrate the Paschal Mystery again, let us all find time to state the obvious, to go to God with words of sorrow and repentance, words that we then back up by deeds of love.

PS. Computer troubles have kept me off line the last few days. My apologies.