February 26, 2015 - Thursday

Yet even now—oracle of the LORD—
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God,
For he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,
and relenting in punishment. (Joel 2:12-13 NABRE)

What do you imagine God is like? When you think of him, is he more stern or gentle in personality? Sometimes, our impression of God is colored by our situations. When we only think of God, for example, when a loved one dies or when we are desperately in trouble, he takes on, for us, sort of a caricature personality which is one-sided, seeming to be either heartless and incompetent or ruthless and indifferent. Is it any wonder that so many people turn away from him in anger, frustration and misunderstanding? Perhaps we make the effort to also think of God during our best moments.

When we read today's passage from Joel, a Hebrew prophet who lived at least five centuries before Jesus, we get a very different image of God. In the first statement, God personally asks each of us to turn back to him with our whole heart, even after we've rejected him. I find comfort in that degree of understanding. He knows I suffer. He knows your pain. And he waits faithfully for you and I to turn to him. Honestly. Sincerely. For comfort. For peace. For satisfaction of our needs. For joy.

Joel encourages us with some urgency to rend* our hearts and return to the Lord. Literally, he is telling us to tear our hearts in two. There is a violence involved, a sort of self-inflicted and willful denial of ourselves, a destruction of our pride, a humbling.

And then we are encouraged further by the prophet's words, which give us a list of God's personality traits to consider. Joel tells us that God is gracious, offering us compassion and kindness. God is merciful and slow to anger, two qualities this weak person is grateful for every day. And God is steadfast in his love for you and I, and willing to relent in doling out punishment.


Today, I will again turn my heart toward God, seeking his Divine Mercy and steafast love.


Saint Porphyry of Gaza, known for your generosity to the poor, pray for us.