Today’s Readings – Tuesday of Week 14 of Ordinary Time - First Reading

Commentary on Hosea 8:4-7,11-13

Hosea is in a very different mood today from yesterday. He makes a scathing attack on the idolatrous practices of the Northern Kingdom (referred to here also as “Israel", “Samaria” and “Ephraim”) when they set up kings without the Lord’s approval.

This passage refers to the dynastic upheavals of Israel’s declining days. Between the death of Jeroboam II and the fall of Samaria to the Assyrians, a matter of some 25 years, there were four separate dynasties on the throne and as many murdered kings. In fact, after Jeroboam II there were five kings in 13 years, and three of them took power violently. They were certainly not God’s choice.

Worse still, they melted down their silver and gold to make false gods, a move that could onl … Continue

Yesterday’s Readings – Monday of Week 14 of Ordinary Time - First Reading

Commentary on Hosea 2:16,17-18,21-22

Today we begin reading from the prophet Hosea. Hosea belonged to Israel, the Northern Kingdom, and began his prophetic career in the last years of Jeroboam II (786-746 BC). Some believe that he was a priest, others that he was a cult prophet, but the … Continue