Hosea, Tefillin, and Lent

                                 Gottlieb:Jews praying in the Synogogue during Yom Kippur

Coming from a Jewish background, I am smiling at our studying Hosea and Jonah as we prepare for the season of Lent.  For many, Lent is a time of self-examination and spiritual reflection, leading up to the Holy Week of Easter. The journey through Holy Week is often colored, personally and collectively, with reminders of God’s abiding love for us and enduring gift of grace and mercy.

In the Jewish calendar, the Holiest 10 days of the year occur during the first Eastern calendar month, which corresponds with September and/or October. These 10 days are bound by Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur, the most solemn day of the year, from sunset to sunset, is a time for Jewish people to spend in prayer seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy.

During the Sabbath between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper, the words of Hosea 2:21-22 are read while “donning Tefillin” in preparation for prayer. Tefillin are very small black boxes worn on the forhead or forarm, and contain scrolls from the Torah (first 5 books of the Bible), proclaiming one’s allegiance to God. 

“I will espouse you forever. I will espouse you with righteousness and justice, and with goodness and mercy. And I will espouse you with faithfulness. Then you shall be devoted to the Lord.”   

These Godly words are taken from the Jewish Study Bible. The reverence for life and for devotion to God, expressed during these Holy Days, is something to behold. Yet I was often intrigued that this Holy ritual seeking God’s forgiveness occurs within a specific time period. 

Reflecting upon Hosea, in preparation for Lent, how do we revere the enduring gift of God’s love for ALL God's children.….so you and I can come before God any day, any time of the year in self-examination and ask for God’s mercy? May I forever remember that because God’s mercy is a gift freely given; while I no longer need to concentrate my petition for forgiveness into one timeframe; bearing a Reverence for God’s love and forgiveness is so very worthy of my gratitude and prayer.

God, I pray my gratitude and reverence for your love and mercy is reflected in my daily life. And when I fall short, as I so do, help me to trust your grace will carry me through.

Shalom,

Susan Moss


ps....More about Jonah and Lent in a future blog...come on back!