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 can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your piety is like a morning cloud,
    like the dew that early passes away.
For this reason I smote them through the prophets,
    I slew them by the words of my mouth;
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
    and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Hosea 6: 3-6

Here are the complete readings for Saturday, March 29.

(“The Pharisee and the Tax Collector” by Bryn Gillette)

Piety can be good for people and for communities. It helps bring reverence and awe to our secular days. What do Hosea and Jesus caution us about how we approach piety? Reflect on the painting above. I don’t think it is meant to say that reverent people are evil or that being attentive to rituals is corrosive. Instead, when do we use our practices, including Lenten sacrifices, as a way to boost our self esteem at the expense or exclusion of others who are also God’s beloved? Who are we on the inside to our God who sees and knows us?

“Ryken looked upon his original vocation as being a conversion in which he fell in love with the service of God. Yet, he too, came to the understanding that a continual conversion is needed.” – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, thank you for the ways in which we may praise you and witness to your transformative power. May we always remember that we speak your name most clearly and boldly when we act with humility. Amen