The Book of Small Prophets Hosea Chapter 8

THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

HOSEA 

CHAPTER 

8

1. Set the trumpet to your lips! One like a vulture is over the house of the LORD, because they have broken my covenant, and transgressed my law.

(Book of Small Prophets Hosea Chapter 8 verse 1)

Everybody be aware that we are God's beloved people, even though we are sinners! God is still protecting us from our sinful selves and from others because he loves us.


2. Israel cries to me, "M|y God, we-Israel-know you!" 3. Israel has spurned the good; the enemy shall pursue him.

(Book of Small Prophets Hosea Chapter 8 verses 2 to 3)


Oh God when our time comes and we all appear before You we are  all in for a big surprise, for although we all proclaim to love and believe in You the way that we live, our values beliefs and decisions may all not always reflect the spirit of that faith that we believe in that is in You.


4. They made kings, but not through me; they set up princes, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.

(Book of Small Prophets Hosea Chapter 8 verse 4)


Israel oh God took matters into their own hands without including or referring to You in the daily transactions of life. They behaved according to their heart's desire and went against the source of life that is You.


5. Your calf is rejected, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? 6. For it is from Israel, an artisan made it; it is not God.  The calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.

(Book of  Small Prophets Hosea Chapter 8 verses 5 to 6)


Oh God I understand how angry You must feel especially when we place our trust in the world and all it has to offer instead of in You and Your ways. As You said many create idols, such as money, pop starts, football players and even worse even parish priests with a very pleasant character may become idols. Once the people are attracted to the idol, the focus is totally shifted and focused.It is displaced from the 'Creator' to the 'created'. If we had to ask certain people why they attend to a particular mass they might say because that person is the priest and I like him. The question to be considered is are parishioners attending to make an experience of You my God, or to listen to a good homely or joke from that priest, or monk, whatever is the case!


7. For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads, it shall yield no meal; if it were to yield, foreigners would devour it.

(Book of Small Prophets Hosea chapter 8 verse 7)


If we sow good seed of the good deeds we do, we will benefits from the works related to the acts of good that we had done, however if we commit negative acts, we will reap the sour and negative fruits of our sinful acts which might end up in pain anguish and calamity.


8. Israel is swallowed up; now they are among the nations as a useless vessel. 9. For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild ass wandering alone; Ephraim has bargained for lovers.

(Book of Small Prophets Hosea Chapter 8 verses 8 to 9)



Oh God we are also swallowed up. We are surrounded by elements of the world that do their best to make us go against You and in favour of the world. We are also like the wild ass wandering in a no man's land of the world, the prey of the popular evil spirits who are all the time harassing us in order that we do not reach our destination that of being with Your forever.


10. Though they bargain with the nations, I will now gather them up. They shall soon writhe under the burden of kings and princes.

(Book of Small Prophets Hosea Chapter 8 verse 10)


Even though we join forces with the negative forces of the world and find our security in it, that same alliance can one day work against us, for it may be the same source that deprives us of our salvation and may even lead to the destruction of our souls.


11. When Ephraim multiplied altars to expiate sin, they became to him altars for sinning.

(Book of Small Prophets Hosea Chapter 8  verse 11)


Oh God as You are aware of, when the practice that is applied on a one time basis becomes an addiction that the user cannot live without this becomes a direct source of both physical and psychological pleasure. Therefore we are to be watchdogs over ourselves, so that when we observe that a habitual pattern is being created we take immediate action to bring it to an end.


12. Though I write for him the multitude of my instructions, they are regarded as a strange thing.  13. Though they offer choice sacrifices, though they eat flesh, the LORD does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt. 14. Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour his strongholds.

(Book of Small Prophets Hosea Chapter 8 verses 12 to 13)


Oh God my Father You have given an uncountable quantity of teachings, a set of clear commandments, dogmas, encyclicals and ecumenical councils, however there are still among us those who still are  not convinced regarding their faith. Further more among us Roman Catholics who attend for adoration, spiritual exercises, communion there are still among us who do not really know who You are in their lives.


I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-


Oh God I pray that we no longer remain children in our faith. I pray that we take You at Your Word and place our trust in You. I also pray that You have mercy on us, for we do not merit heaven but the torments of hell Amen.

  

The Book of Small Prophets Hosea Chapter 7

THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

HOSEA 

CHAPTER 

7

1. when I would heal Israel, the corruption of Ephraim is revealed, and the wicked deeds of Samaria; for they deal falsely, the thief breaks in, and the bandits raid outside.

(Book of Prophets Hosea Chapter 7 verse 1)

Oh God although You are well aware that by our physical nature we are sinful and corrupt, You do not hold it against us but offer us Your healing. Oh what a loving Father we have, if only as sons and daughters we only appreciate what a loving Father we have.


2. But they do not consider that I remember all their wickedness. Now their deeds surround them, they are before my face.

(Book of Prophets Hosea Chapter 7 verse 2)


Oh God anything we do and say is not missed by You. You are aware of everything and therefore You are in an ideal position to judge us, however even when You do You still love us.


3. By their wickedness they make the king glad, and the officials by their treachery. 4. They are all adulterers; they are like a heated oven, whose baker does not need to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.

(Book of Prophets Hosea Chapter 7 verses 3 to 4)


Oh God it is true that due to our wickedness we have made certain lawmakers happy because we have voted in favour of issues such as divorce that go against Your will in order to pass the law of divorce and mixed marriages. We have encouraged them to keep on passing other laws that go against Your will. We have added fuel to their f;lame by giving them our approval and the oven will keep on burning.


5. On the day of our king the officials became sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with mockers. 6. For they are kindled like an oven, their heart burns within them; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

(Book of Prophets Hosea Chapter 7 verses 5 to 6)


Oh god when we lose control of ourselves we become over controlled by our emotions which take control of us as in outbursts of anger, which is strong enough to give us energy to do things or actions that we will not normally do when we are calm and at peace with ourselves and with others.  When we are in such a sinful state Your presence cannot dwell in us and the negative spirit which thrives in such a negative environment soon takes over motivating us to perform lustful and sinful actions.


7. All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen; none of them calls upon me.

(Book of Prophets Hosea Chapter 7 verse 7)


Instead of eating our rulers, we put so much pressure on them that they have to resign, as in the case of many leaders and Pope Benedict who was compelled to resign from the papacy as a consequence.


8. Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned. 9. Foreigners devour his strength but he does not know it; gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, but he does not know it.

(Book of Prophets Hosea Chapter 7 verse 8 to 9)


Oh God I am also a cake that is not yet finished and ready for consumption, I am still works in progress. Each day of my life is a task that is added to the lengthy process of my conversion and salvation. How wise is Your counsel oh God. We must be aware of others who claim to be our friends, however on the other hand their aim, is that of sharing from our skills and resources instead of giving and receiving. The role of such people is like that of a parasite, sucking the life out of its victim until it completely destroys it.


10. Israel's pride testifies against him; yet they do not return to the LORD their God, or seek him for all this.

(Book of Prophets Hosea Chapter 7 verse 10)


Oh God one of our greatest problems is our pride. This blocks us from accepting our reality, the fact that we may have problems in our lives, that are hindering us from living a life according to Your will. If we do not reach this stage and admit this fact, we can never humble ourselves before You and ask for Your healing grace.


11. Ephraim has become like a dove silly and without sense; they call upon Egypt, they go to Assyria. 12. As they go, I will cast my net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the air; I will discipline them according to the report made to their assembly. 

(Book of Prophets Hosea Chapter 7 verses 11 to 12)


Oh GOD even though we try to go our ways You still try to bring us back to You like a bird trapper who tries to catch birds. You can create situations that help us turn back to You. This is Your discipline of love.


13. Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me. 

(Book of Prophets Hoses Chapter 7 verse 13)


Oh God when we wander away from You our lives become one big lie which ends our relationship with You and even with our inner self. We start believing in the lie so much that we cannot distinguish lies from the truth.


14. They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds; they gash themselves for grain and wine; they rebel against me.

(Book of Prophets Hoses Chapter 7 verse 14)


Oh God it hurts to the heart when You see us in sorrow over material losses and not wail over our loss of our relationship with You. In fact it is more proper to worry over the loss of our place in heaven than over worldly possessions that today are available but one day we shall have to be without.


15. It was I who trained and strengthened their arms, yet they plot evil against me. 16. They turn to that which does not profit; they have become like a defective bow; their officials shall fall by the sword because of the rage of their tongue. So much for their babbling in the land of Egypt.

(Book of Prophets Hosea Chapter 7 verses 15 to 16)


Even though You have been taking care of us since the time of our beginning, and gave us all we needed to lead a life based on Your ways, we still turn against You my God and my Father.

Oh God I would like to end this chapter of the book of Small Prophets with the following prayer:


Oh God although we are great sinners, we love You. We do our best, however our sinful nature at times gets the best of us. Please forgive us for those times when we turned against You while knowing exactly what we were saying and what we were doing. Most of all forgive us, if during such moments we were aware that what we were doing went totally against Your will. Amen.

The Book of Small Prophets Chapter 6

THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

 HOSEA 

CHAPTER 

6

1. "Come, let us return to the LORD; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up.

(Hosea Chapter 6 verse 1)

Oh Yes may we all admit the fact that our healing on all levels, be it spiritual, physical and even psychological can come only from You. I am witness of such healing. Nobody could cure me of a chronic syndrome called "Irritable Bowel Syndrome", however through receiving You in faith in communion You healed me completely and I have been healed for several years. Thanks Jesus!


2. After two days he will revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. 3. Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth."

(Hosea Chapter 6 verses 2 to 3)


Oh God many times before Your birth by means of such prophets You told us that after three days You would rise again in victory and that when You were saved we would also be saved with You. You have given us so much proof but some still manage to find reason to doubt.

4. What Shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early.

(Hosea Chapter 6 verse 4)


I can only imagine oh God what You would comment on a person such as myself! You have who have done great works in my life, and still I am in need of controlling my sinful self, with all its emotions and needs and place my total trust in You! Oh God I also try to love You but my self at times gets the better of me and my love also fades like the morning cloud. I pray oh God that I will not let the worries of the world come in between us and compromise our relationship Amen.


5. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have killed them by the words of my mouth, and my judgement goes forth as the light. 6. For I desire love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

(Hosea Chapter 6 verses 5 to 6)


Oh God I totally understand what You mean. When we are young we offer You what we can as children, however when we grow up and become adults even in the faith, You expect more of us. It is not Your will or Your pleasure that we grow up as adults and even more of a mature adults physically and have the faith of a seven year old based on what one learnt during catechism.


7. But at Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.

(Hosea Chapter 6 verse 7)


Many times oh God we have transgressed against You and we also have not always been faithful to You. However I thank You oh God for always being faithful to me. Amen.


8. Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with blood. 9. As robbers lie in wait for someone, so the priests are banded together they murder on the road to Shechem, they commit a monstrous crime.  10. In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; Ephraim's whoredom is there, Israel is defiled. 11. For you also. O Judah, a harvest is appointed. When I would restore the fortunes of my people,

(Hosea Chapter 6 verses 8 to 11)


Oh God if You looked at the world, society at large You would see many areas where sin is deep rooted. Our world is contaminated by sin and is worthy of being burned to char. We are all sinners, however although You know our individual areas of sin You are still ready to restore us back to health instead of condemning us for life imprisonment.


Oh God I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-


Oh God You know that we are all sinners and that we merit the raging fires of hell. However God You love us so, much that You laid Your life for us in a one and eternal sacrifice on the cross. You love us so much that You paid the price by the shedding of Your holy blood. On Your left and on Your right side there was a list of all our sins. And when on the cross You gave us that loving smile mixed with love and pain and proclaimed that the account has been settled. With one scream of agony You shouted "It is finished!", the price has been paid You are all redeemed. Thank You Jesus!

The book of Hosea the Prophet Chapter 5

THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

 HOSEA 

CHAPTER 

5

1. Hear this, O priests! Give heed, O house of Israel! Listen, O house of the king! For the judgment pertains to you; for you have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor, 2. and a pit dug deep in Shittim, but I will punish all of them.

(Hosea Chapter 5 verses 1 to 2)

Oh all Roman Catholics and Christians of all churches and you of all faiths, summon yourselves place your focus on whom you believe for it is time to take care of your spiritual welfare. If you are a catholic or Christian and proclaim that you believe in God make sure that You live according to His word. Any time in our lives can be the time of judgement. Today could be our last day on earth. We will never know the exact day, therefore we are to be prepared in a spirit of prayer and relationship with God. God is telling us to snap out of the bubble of our alienation and face the crude fact or reality that we have been investing on our material welfare for so long at the sake of our spiritual welfare. Therefore now is the time to make a U turn in our lives and take care of our spiritual relationship with You oh God.

3. I know Ephraim and Israel is not hidden from me; for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore; Israel is defiled 4. Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. For the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they do not know the LORD.

(Hosea Chapter 5 verses 3 to 4)


Oh God I thank You for holding me in Your presence. Wherever I go, whatever I do, You always see me and know my thoughts and wishes even those that are not always according to Your will. Although I do my best oh God, it is only with Your help that I can overcome this spirit of the world, the spirit of whoredom that is our sinful nature. When we are totally given to the world it is humanly impossible to make a u-turn and turn back to follow Your ways. However You are good of the impossible who are able to make the impossible possible.

5. Israel's pride testifies against him; Ephraim stumbles in his guilt; Judah also stumbles with them. 6. With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the LORD, but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them.

(Hosea Chapter 5 verses 5 to 6)


Our sinful self oh God also testifies against us. If left to our own devices our selfishness arises and this effects our decisions that may tend to favour us and our needs over that of others. Even the considered good people can fall into this trap if we move our eyes of You my God. 


7. They have dealt faithlessly with the LORD; for they have born illegitimate children. Now the new moon shall devour them along with their fields.

(Hosea Chapter 5 verse 7)


During this time of advent You are referring to one of the common sins of society. Many children are being born under the title of unknown father for negative reasons. There have even been cases of babies who are abandoned at the time of birth and were it not for kind people who run non governmental organisations and people dedicated to You such as sisters such babies would either have been found dead or aborted. I pray for all those people who have ever intervened in some way in order to save a life of a child and even more for those who care for them in foster homes and institutions.


8. Blow the horn Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah. Sound the alarm at Beth-aven; look behind you, Benjamin!

(Hosea Chapter 5 verse 8)


Alert Alert! Oh Roman Catholics and people of all religions, for the evil one has sworn to destroy us and claim our souls, by persuading world powers and others to wage war against each other. Many innocent people have died in France, many more in Syria, while others are dying by means of hunger, poverty and many other inhumane conditions due to the injustice written by humanity at large. The enemy is mounting a strong attack and we are to be ready! Therefore let us unite as one super power, not with nuclear arms but with the message of peace and love and by praying the rosary, so that the Mother of God who is the arch enemy of the Devil will intercede on our behalf before her Son to overcome the  spiritual forces of evil that are doing great harm to the world.


 9. Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of punishment; among the tribes of Israel I declare what is sure.

(Hosea Chapter 5 verse 9)


Oh God if we do not place our faith and trust in You and not in the world we can also end up in a state of depression and desolation. Our day of judgement may not be simply the final day when You judge the world. Our judgement day may be that hour when we are tested by You by means of a particular situation in order to see if we still love You and if not to help us get back on track in our relationship with You.


10. The princes of Judah have become like those who remove the landmark; on them I will pour out my wrath like water.

(Hosea Chapter 5 verse 10)


Oh God when we remove the landmarks from a map we lose our sense of direction and end up heading on routes that we did not plan for, that may eventually even lead to our destruction. When we lose track of You my God it will be our greatest loss. I pray that we never remove You from our lives You who are our most important landmark of all leading to our salvation love and care.


11. Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgement because he was determined to go after vanity.

(Hosea Chapter 5 verse 11)


Oh God as a sinner I also feel oppressed and crushed by my own sins. Although I know that You have already paid the price for my sins, I still feel the guilt of the sins that I have committed throughout my life. However I still thank You for having forgiven me.


12. Therefore I am like maggots to Ephraim, and like rottenness to the house of Judah.

(Hosea Chapter 5 verse 12)


Oh God thanks for being my father, forgive me when I am disobedient to Your will and even to the ways of the world. As in the case of Ephraim we often use You as our lucky charm in order to get what we want, and when we do not succeed we treat You as a second class father. Please forgive me when I am not faithful to You my God, for I am still flesh and sinful.


13. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to the great king. But he is not able to cure you or heal your wound.

(Hosea Chapter 5 verse 13)


Oh God my father what fools we are! When we face sickness and other grievances we go to the means of the world such as doctors, social workers, lawyers and other professionals, instead of coming to You from whom all healing and justice flows. In our heat of passion, hurt and anger we look for quick solutions that tend to complicate the problem and cause more harm instead of providing a good and healthy solution to our issues.


14. For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I myself will tear and go away; I will carry off, and no one shall rescue. 

(Hosea Chapter 5 verse 14)


Oh my God during this time of tribulation I need You to be a loving supportive and caring father, for I am greatly in need of You. The evil one is planting in my mind evil seeds that lead to my feeling discouraged with the stress of family life. This negative spirit is trying to convince me to put an end to my marriage that is becoming more demanding with each passing day, and that I be better off living on my own which is less stressful. I pray to You my Father that You protect me from my enemy that is harassing my thoughts and feelings day and night.


15. I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face. In their distress they will beg my favor:

(Hosea Chapter 5 verse 15)

Oh God be it not that You should ever remove Your Holy presence from among us, for we will surely perish. We who think so greatly of ourselves will surely experience the consequences of our pride and will resort to our negative devices instead of to You.

Oh God I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-

Oh God I greatly pray on the behalf of the world and all its people and this also includes myself, for I am also a great sinner. I pray that You be merciful in the judgement of the world, not that we deserve Your mercy and loving kindness but because in our pride and grandeur we are truly ignorant in the sense of not being aware that by the way we are living we are placing judgement on ourselves. Instead of calling on You as our only hope of life, we are turning against You the rock of our salvation and against that rock there are two options salvation or our judgement and condemnation, for only You are worthy of passing judgement. Therefore I greatly pray for Your Divine Mercy and invite others to join me in the recitation of this prayer of the Divine Chaplet.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet

The book of Hosea the Prophet Chapter 4

THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

 HOSEA 

CHAPTER 

4

1. Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel: for the LORD has an indictment against the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land.

(Hosea Chapter 4 verse 1)

Oh God my Father if You had to comment on the world of today I think that You would have similar comments. During our times there is more than knowledge about You. Many people are joining spiritual groups and praising Your name, however others have, become totally cold towards Your name, the Roman Catholic Church and Your teachings. Legislation and social trends are being based on issues that are against Your will. Homosexuality is at its best, divorce has become the rule of the day, mixed marriages have also been accepted and the right for adoption may be in the pipeline. Oh God have mercy on us I beg You!

2. Swearing, lying, and murder, and stealing and adultery break out; bloodshed follows bloodshed.

(Hosea Chapter 4 verse 2)

During our times oh God there is also many bloodshed in the world and even adultery. According to the following link some countries in the world score higher than others in the level of adultery practised:

Adultery in different countries

Astounding enough Malta has a black history of swearing ever since its native history as in the following link:-

Malta history of swearing


3. Therefore the land mourns, and all who live in it languish together with wild animals and the birds of the air even the fish of the sea are perishing.

(Hosea Chapter 4 verse 3)

Oh God, the earth is mourning under the burden of our sins. We are meddling in areas that are very delicate and that we should not meddle with. We are trying to dismantle all the systems that You created and we are making a mess of nature. Nature is being abused by cases of pollution on many levels both air sea and land and we are paying for our sins, for we are reaping the fruit of our sins.

4. Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest 5. You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night and I will destroy your mother.

(Hosea Chapter 4 verses 4 to 5)


Oh God nobody can accuse or pass judgement on others for we all are sinners. By day we stumble when we are guided by the light of the sun however You guide us by both day and night and rise with us when we rise and fall with us when we fall in order to protect us from being harmed by the fall because You love us so much.

6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

(Hosea Chapter 4 verse 6)


Oh God, the society of our times is being destroyed by an excessive supply of  knowledge, however as in the case of Your chosen people the knowledge acquired is worldly and not of God. It is totally scientific based on experiential and scientific principles which at times persuades us to place You in a corner so that we can take control of our lives, at least that is what some people think.


7. The more they increased the more they sinned against me; they changed their glory into shame.

(Hosea Chapter 4 verse 7)


The more we have grown in knowledge and advanced in technology the more our ignorance and pride increased so much that we started to try and depend on our selves instead of on You my Father and the glory and dignity that You gave us as humans created in Your form became shame because we disgrace the human race by means of our sinful acts.


8. They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity. 9. And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways, and repay them for their deeds. 10. They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply; because they have forsaken the LORD to devote themselves to 11. whoredom. Wine and new wine take away the understanding

(Hosea Chapter 4 verses 8 to 11)


Oh God we are already experiencing such terrible times. We are becoming more avaricious, consuming items more than capacity just to satisfy our desires, however we are not at peace with our selves and even with others. We are always feeling empty because only You can fill in this emptiness and not the commodities of this world.


12. My people consult a piece of wood, and their diving rod gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have played the whore, forsaking their God.

(Hosea Chapter 4 verse 12)


Oh God years have passed and Your people are still referring to idols and even fortune tellers, who are still leading them astray from You. I pray that You save us from such a cursed malady which is infecting our society.


13. They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and make offerings upon the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good.

(Hosea Chapter 4 verse 13)


Oh God when we offer prayers to You to simply attract the attention of others this is not fruitful but a complete waste of time, for You tell us to give worship in our private quarters where we are alone with You and not in a place where we attract the attention of others in order to impress them.


14. I will not punish your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with whores, and sacrifice with temple prostitutes; thus a people without understanding comes to ruin.

(Hosea Chapter 4 verse 14)


Oh Jesus may I be like You. Although You had all reason and evidence on which to pass judgement on Your people and even om each one of us, You were not too hasty or swift or even impatient to pass judgement as we do among each other. I pray for the gifts of patience, mercy and endurance in spirit so that my faith in You will remain forever Amen.

15. Though you play the whore, O Israel, do not let Judah become guilty. Do not enter into Gilgal, or go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear, "As the LORD lives."

(Hosea Chapter 4 verse 15)


Oh God You love us so much that You warn us and make us aware of not indulging in more sinful acts than we may already are. Your people were already up to their neck in sins, however You still made them aware of the idolatry practised in Gilgal and Beth-aven so that they would not become more corrupted in sins.


16. Like a stubborn heifer; Israel is stubborn; can the LORD now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?

(Hosea Chapter 4 verse 16)


Oh God how kind are You and how stubborn we are. Even though You show us how much You love us, we still keep on pursuing our sinful ways.

17. Ephraim is joined to idols let him alone, 18. When their drinking is ended they indulge in sexual orgies; they love lewdness more than their glory. 19. A wind has wrapped them in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their altars.

(Hosea Chapter 4 verses 17 to 19)

Oh God we are overcome by alienation. Some of us are alienated by work, others by our careers, others by idolising themselves, who have become their own God, others have made Pop stars as their gods, while others indulge in acts of sexual pleasure or hobbies such as offline or on line gaming  in order to satisfy their pleasure. Alienation has become the name of the game. We are so afraid of the reality of the day that we have to leave this earth, that we are doing all we can not even to mention this reality.

Oh God I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-

Oh God I pray that You bust the bubble of our alienation so that we come face to face with the reality that one day we have to face the music of our sins and accept the fact that one day we are to leave this earth and appear before You. May we all be well prepared for this important moment in our life Amen.

The book of Hosea the Prophet Chapter 3

THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

 HOSEA 

CHAPTER 

3

1.  The LORD said to me again, "Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the LORD loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes."

(Hosea Chapter 3 verse 1)

Oh God in order to set an example for the people in order to reflect the fact that they had become adulterers in their worship to You, You told Hosea to seek a lady who was in an adulterous relationship with another man and commit adultery by loving her.  Even though this was not a legitimate act, You permitted its use, in order to bring us to our senses so, that we may realize the absurdity of our sinful acts and turn back from them and seek Your forgiveness.


2. So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley and a measure of wine.

(Hosea Chapter 3 verse 2)


Oh God what a price for the redemption of my soul! It cost more than fifteen shekels, but every drop of blood in Your body, by means of a bloody passion by which You gave us Your total self as a living sacrifice on the cross. This is the greatest act of love that money can never buy or match.


3. And I said to her, "You must remain as mine for many days; you shall not play the whore, you shall not have intercourse with a man, nor I with you."

(Hosea Chapter 3 verse 3)


Oh God You love us so much that You require us to remain faithful for ever. Moreover God wants us to remain faithful to Him and not to be attracted by the ways of the world that persuade us not to walk in Your ways.

4. For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim.

(Hosea Chapter 3 verse 4)


Oh God I cannot imagine how my life would be if You decided to deny us of new vocations, which would lead to a non replacement of Your Priests who consecrate the bread and wine that turns into Your body and blood which is my physical and most important spiritual nourishment. I would die without Your presence oh God.

5. Afterward the Israelites shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; they shall come in awe to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.

(Hosea Chapter 3 verse 5)

I would like to end this brief chapter with the following prayer:

Oh God thank You for having mercy on my soul. Thanks for giving me a chance to repent from my ways and seek Your forgiveness. I can never stop loving You my Father.  Even though I am prone to sin, You still keep on loving me. Thank You Father.

The book of Hosea the Prophet Chapter 2

THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

 HOSEA 

CHAPTER 

2

1. Say to your brother, Ammi, and to your sister, Ruhamah. 2. Plead with your mother, plead for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband that she put away her whoring from her face and her adultery from between her breasts, 3. or I will strip her naked and expose her as in the day she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and turn her into a parched land, and kill her with thirst.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verses 1 to 3)

Even though the prophet Hosea had obeyed You oh God and had taken Gomer as his wife, he is considering himself as not being married for his wife as in the case of Israel Your chosen people were still living a life of unfaithfulness. She was exposing herself to a life of sin. As in the case of Israel as a consequence a long period of trials and testing was promised. 

4. Upon her children also I will have no pity, because they are children of whoredom

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 4)

According to this prophecy there was no mercy remaining for Your chosen people. They had sinned so much that even their generations would carry the stain of the sins of their forefathers. In real life scenarios this oh God is also the case. When a person is a whore or a person who has just come out of prison or a person who has been unfaithful in the act with another woman, the offspring of such people will be referred to and labelled according to the act of  the offender. As in my case I was known as those 'who came from England, whose father had an affair with another woman for nine years while in England, and are now separated! The label and the connotation sticks forever in the eyes of humanity, however You oh God always shows love and mercy even to Your people, whom You permitted to pass this great test of tribulations.

5. For their mother has played the whore; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, "I will go after my lovers; they give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink."

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 5)


As in the case of the whore at times oh God we make the wrong decisions and decide to follow the ways of the world instead of the noble way of the cross that although is not easy it is the only way that leads to our salvation. 



6. Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns; and I will build a wall against her so that she cannot find her paths.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 6)


In order to protect us from our sinful self and ways oh God my father you make the course difficult so that we may not achieve that desired goal by which we may be harmed even though we may not be aware of the pending danger, both physical and even spiritual or psychological.


7. She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them. Then she shall say, "I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better with me then than now."

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 7)


Although oh God we may attempt to seek our aims and goals in that which is of the world, however in time we will realise that these achievements will never give us the full satisfaction that we are aiming for, because they will never be enough to fill Your place. We will always have part of us empty, because this part of us can be filled only by You, my God and my Father.


8. She did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine and the oil,  and who lavished upon her silver and gold that they used for Baal.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 8)


As human beings we are not always aware that You oh Father are are our primary source of providence. We are not aware that we depend only on You and that without You and Your support we can do nothing. This is why we often refer to our own self and devices instead of to You and often end up making a mess of the situation.

9. Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my wine in its season; and I will take away my wool and my flax which were to cover her nakedness.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 9)


Oh Jesus I understand that due to our disobedience we merit such a harsh consequence. When I turn my back on You I will not be worthy to benefit from Your blessings and bounty. In such cases I will be left to my own devices and reap the fruit of my sin, for without You we are able to do nothing but one sin after another because all forms of good have their primary source and origin in You my God.


10. Now I will uncover her shame in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 10)

Oh God You are so just. You stick to the truth in all circumstances. Although we might try to cover the truth by being corrupt in our ways, You will raise up the issues by means of others or by circumstances in order to bring us back on track. You have the authority to bring to daylight that which we thought we did in secret.

11. I will put an end to all her mirth, her festivals, her new moons, her sabbaths, and all her appointed festivals.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 11)


Oh Jesus if only You would terminate such festivals both in Malta and even in many other countries such as Rio where carnival has become a feast that is totally abhorrent. How nice it would be if You eliminated all that leads us away from You instead of towards You my Jesus.


12. I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, "These are my pay, which my lovers have given me."I will make them a forest and the wild animals shall devour them.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 12)


At times oh God we may put aside the fact that You are our only source of support, whether we like it or not. You are the one who help our figs to grow, our success in our careers, Masters or relationships. However as humans we tend to attribute our successes to ourselves instead of to You my God and this is not fair at all. I consider it as being fair that You take away all such means of support for in truth they are rightfully Yours and not ours.


13. I will punish her for the festival days of the Baals, when she offered incense to them and decked herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, says the LORD.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 13)


Oh God it is just enough for taking action against us when we turn to worldly sources and give worship to them as if to You. All praise and worship is to be given only to You and not to any material or physical being or object.


14. Therefore, I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 14)

In the same way that the world attracts our attention into committing sin, God also calls us to come to him. God may make us experience moments of dryness and crisis so that You oh Father may chose to speak to us during such moments when we are more down to earth than when we are alienated by the routines of our lives.


15. From there I will give her her vineyards, and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she shall respond as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 15)


Oh God even though we sin again and again you love us so much that You give us the opportunity to change our ways and welcome us back in Your arms. You are ready to clean the slate and give us the chance of starting fresh as long as we show a sincere repentance from our sins.


16. On that day, says the LORD, you will call me, "My husband", and no longer will you call me, "My Baal." 

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 16)


On the day of judgement I wish that we are able to address You oh God as our loving "Father" and not simply "God". I pray oh God that our relationship will have grown so strong that we truly acknowledge You as our Father as You wish us to accept You as. In fact in the prayer that You taught us before You physically left the earth You wanted us to address You as being our Father.


17. For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be mentioned by name no more.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 17 )


Oh Father even though a situation appears to be chronic or non reversible You are able to change the circumstances and renew our faith in You.


18. I will make for you a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verse 18)


Although we go against You oh God You keep on loving us. As a loving Father You are aware that we are prone to sin, even though we do our best to live life according to Your holy will. You know that one day we will put our foot in it and go against Your will. You are always merciful and kind and ready to forgive us. Oh what a kind and loving father I have. However on the other hand in order to help me to grow on all levels, You permit me to experience the consequences of my negative acts. Amen.


19. And I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. 20. I will take you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the LORD.

(Hosea Chapter 2 verses 19 to 20)


Oh God even though we sin against You, You are still ready to refresh our relationship together and continue Your relationship with us, in love intimacy and care forever. This is so encouraging it gives me, the courage to wake up and move on in life.


21. On that day I will answer, says the LORD, I will answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth; 22. and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel; 23. and I will sow him him for myself in the land. And I will have pity on Lo-ruhamah, and I will say to Lo-ammi, You are my people" and he shall say, "You are my God."

(Hosea Chapter 2 verses 21 to 23)


On the day that we turn back to You oh God You will change our lives completely. You love us so much that You take us under Your protective wing and bring new life to us. Although we turn our backs on You You always acknowledge us as Your sons and daughters.


I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:


Oh God I thank You for loving me and for accepting me the way I am and not as You wish me to be. I thank You for having an attitude of forgiveness and not a judgmental one. I pray for Your forgiveness especially during those moments when I have disobeyed Your will and did things my way instead of waiting on You. I thank You for making me aware of my weakness that of rushing into things instead of waiting for You to act in my life. I pray for the gift of perseverance and for inner peace and tranquility Amen.