Thursday of the 14th week in the ordinary time
Theme: The love of God
In the 1st reading of today, the prophet Hosea presents to us the depth of God’s love for his people. He is willing to forgive his people, even though they are not living according to his dictates. He is not willing to punish the people, but rather he is calling them to repentance; to let go of their lifestyle that is not pleasing to God. The position of God in today’s 1st reading is an invitation for us all as children of God, to learn to forgive each other when we are offended.
In the response to our psalm today, it says, ‘let your face shine on us Lord, and we shall be saved’. This is exactly what the prophet Hosea is presenting to us in the 1st reading of today, the mercy of God in his relationship with us. He does not treat us according to our guilt, but rather gives us the opportunity to reconcile ourselves with him and return to the right path that will lead us to eternal life.
In the gospel reading according to Mathew, Jesus commissions his Apostles to go out and preach about the nearness of the kingdom of God. As he commissions them, he gives them an insight about what is necessary and what is not necessary in their mission. The question is, how committed are we to the mission of Christ? We are all invited to partake of this that Christ has handed over to us as his followers. This mission is not limited to only priests and consecrated men and women; it is for all of us as children of God. That is why my brothers and sister, we have to be part of this mission that Jesus handed over to his followers. In the gospel of today, he gave us a guide that will help us in our mission. By implication, we are all encouraged to witness for the kingdom of God here on earth.
May God grant us the grace to be committed to the mission of Christ in our daily lives. As you do this may almighty God bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.