HOSEA

THE  PROPHET  HOSEA

 This week – for our first reading at 5  Weekday Masses  - the Prophet Hosea is featured.

We can thank Gregory Norbert of the Weston Priory in Massachusetts for making Hosea better known by his song, “Come Back to Me.”   We’ve heard it sung at many Penance or Reconciliation Services.

If 100 people were given a box of crayons and a piece of clean white paper – and told to draw a picture of God what would be their response?

If they were little children – I can picture them – reaching for their crayons and immediately drawing an old man in a robe with a beard.

But maybe not……….

Unless you be like little children – as Jesus once said – you won’t picture the kingdom of God.

If the 100 people were adults – what would we get as an image of God? Circles? Arrows? A Hand? A Question Mark? An Eye? A Face?

How would you picture God?  

Those who got their words and images into the scriptures have pictured God as a Shepherd, a Warrior, a Father, a Mother, a King?

Hosea pictures  God as a Spouse  - who wants to marry us – stay loyal to us – come back to us – forgiving us no matter what - because of this God has for us..

Unless one has a good hand and a good imagination for drawing – I would assume that adults would prefer words to crayons.

Read Hosea – read the 5 readings for this week – and see what images and pictures about God – in his words hit home.

We can thank Hosea the Prophet – who lived around 725  B.C.  – for telling us that God is a forgiving God – no matter what.

When it comes to the theme of forgiveness and second chances  - we’re used to sons returning home  to their father or lost sheep being found. Hosea uses the husband and wife reality – and in this case a forgiving husband taking back his wife – even though she was prostituting herself.

Hosea is telling Israel what God is like.

Doodle with that image – pray and play with that image – and see where God takes you - hear what God is saying to you.