The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to explore Covenant love and how we can be aware of God’s Presence and fidelity.
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| Fidelity |
The reading from the Prophet Hosea tells of Israel taken as a wife.
* [2:21–22] Betroth…with: the betrothal was the legal moment before cohabitation when the dowry was paid to the father of the bride. In this remarriage the Lord gives the bride price to Israel herself “forever.” Justice…judgment: refer to equity and fairness of conduct. The next two terms, “loyalty” (hesed), the steadfast love between the covenant partners, and “compassion,” maternal love (cf. 1:6; 2:3, 25) are characteristic of Hosea. You shall know: not an abstract but a practical knowledge which means acknowledgment of God’s will and obedience to his law (4:1; 5:4; 6:3, 6).1
Psalm 145 declares “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity.2
In the Gospel from Matthew, a girl is restored to Life and a woman is healed.
* [9:24] Sleeping: sleep is a biblical metaphor for death (see Ps 87:6 LXX; Dn 12:2; 1 Thes 5:10). Jesus’ statement is not a denial of the child’s real death, but an assurance that she will be roused from her sleep of death.3
Kimberly Grassmeyer comments that we have to remember that Jesus is here – within each of us. Jesus continues to speak through each of our words and to act through each of our choices. Our faith is made manifest in our everyday words and our everyday works.
Our faith can be as true as that of the suffering woman, and that of the official for his daughter. We have the power to use our deep faith for the benefit of the other. But we – I – may lack the courage to do so.
Shall we pray together, asking God to strengthen us in our faith, and to give us the courage to use that faith (expressed in our words, acts, time, treasure) to move our world to one that is just and loving – and healed? Let us pray. Amen.4
Don Schwager quotes “Daughter, your faith has made you well,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"So what did Messiah do? He did not let her go unnoticed but led her into the center of attention and made her visible. He had many reasons for doing this. Some might imagine that 'he did this merely for love of glory - otherwise why would he not allow her to remain concealed?' But what are they proposing who might say this? That he should keep her silent, that he should ignore her need, and thereby pass up miracles too numerous to mention, all because he is in love with glory? What an unholy thought, inspired by the most unholy one of all."
"What then is his intention in bringing her forward? First, Jesus puts an end to her fear. He does not want her to remain trapped in dread. He gives no cause for her conscience to be harmed, as if she had stolen the gift. Second, he corrects her assumption that she has no right to be seen. Third, he makes her faith an exhibit to all. He encourages the others to emulate her faith. Fourth, his subduing the fountains of her hemorrhage was another sign of his knowledge of all things. And finally, do you remember the ruler of the synagogue? He was at the point of despair, of utter ruin. Jesus is indirectly admonishing him by what he says to the woman." (excerpt from the THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 31.2)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Hosea 2:16-18, 21-22 comments that hardship usually makes us ask, What did I do wrong to end up in this place? But God always finds a way to use hardship to bring us closer to him. Our “desert” might be the direct result of our own sin—like a friendship wounded by our bad temper. It might be the result of the imperfect world we live in—like a terminal illness. Or it might be a little of both—like having your country overrun by an enemy. Either way, instead of asking, What did I do to deserve this? we can ask, What does God want to do in me through this experience?
So next time you feel like you’re in the desert, try to see the upside. Remember that God is with you even there. Take a deep breath and try to quiet your thoughts. Turn to God and let him speak to you tenderly. Settle into the silence and listen for his voice. God can bring his love to bear on whatever situation you face, even in the harshest of deserts.
“Lord, I believe that every situation is an opportunity to grow closer to you. So help me to trust in you during the desert times.”6
Friar Jude Winkler notes the importance of the desert to Hosea where Israel first fell in love with God. The Feast of Booths is marked by a going back to the desert. Friar Jude reminds us that faith has saved the woman in the Gospel, physically and spiritually.
A post by Franciscan media comments on Saint Maria Goretti, Saint of the Day for July 6.
Maria may have had trouble with catechism, but she had no trouble with faith. God’s will was holiness, decency, respect for one’s body, absolute obedience, total trust. In a complex world, her faith was simple: It is a privilege to be loved by God, and to love him—at any cost.7
James Finley, CAC faculty member, offers a contemplative practice to help us experience the love of God even in the midst of chaos. Living out of that love transforms both ourselves and the world.
In this contemplative practice, sit and renew your awareness that you’re sitting in the presence of God all about you and within you. As you inhale, inhale God’s silent “I love you,” in which God is being poured out and utterly given away to you as the miracle of your very life. Then when you exhale, exhale yourself in love: “I love you.” And so, we are breathing [along with God], “I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.” From the reciprocity of love, destiny is fulfilled, and the foundations of suffering are healed.8
Our need for reanimation as we deal with chaos may be met as we return to quiet to experience the fidelity of God in our life.
References
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