HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II. 06.07.2020.

Readings: Hosea 2:16-18, 21-22; Psalm 145 and Matthew 9:18-26. 

RISK WE TAKE WHEN WE ARE IN LOVE 

 One thing that quickly and easily destroys relationship is infidelity. But the one that truly loves, sees beyond the weakness or unfaithfulness of the partner and embrace he or she again. This is what the liturgy of today presents to us. The repeated infidelities of Hosea’s wife triggered an emotional explosion in the prophet’s heart, which reminds us of the risk and pains it takes to stay with an unfaithful spouse. For love and compassion, Christ in the gospel took the risk to allow the unclean touch him and he, to touch the one considered defiled. How often do we take risk for the one we love or those who loves us?

 

The prophet Hosea is caught up in a marital scandal. Not only has his wife been unfaithful, but he is not even sure of the paternity of two of the family’s three children. Only the first, a son, was really born to him (Hos 1:6, 8). Yet he finds it in his heart to forgive his straying wife, to mirror the compassion of God towards his sinful people. The first reading of today portrays a loving and compassionate God, abundant in mercy to his people. Through the prophet, the Lord said, “You will call me, ‘My husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal’ and I will espouse you forever; with righteousness and justice…” God looked forward to the day when relationship would be genuinely restored with His people. He wanted an intimate love-relationship with His people, and longed for the day when His people would have a marriage-like love and commitment to Him. He does not want a love relationship where he will be address as, ‘My Baal,’ which signifies ‘Master’ in Hebrew. God does not want a master-slave relationship with man, but a love-based relationship with his people, where the thought of him will primarily be like a loving husband. When he said, “I will espouse you forever,” he tells us that when this relationship is restored, it will be on a solid foundation which entails righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and mercy.

 

This loving relationship of God towards his people is explicit the Gospel of today, when Christ was approached by two different personalities, a synagogue official requesting for restoration of life of his daughter and the woman with the issue of blood, who, in virtue of that condition, would have been considered ritually unclean, and, therefore, excluded from the synagogue. They both expressed their faith in Christ. It is worthy of note, the difficult situations they found themselves and Christ readiness to restore them back to God, just like his readiness to restore his people to a genuine relationship. Christ, full of compassion and love, took the risk to allow the unclean and the person barred from entering the synagogue or temple to touch him, which literally speaking will make him unclean as found in (Lev. 15:19-33) and later take the dead child by hand, which portrays defilement in Lev. 21:1. He took this risk to restore the life of the young girl. There must be in Christ an overwhelming compassion and a decisive urge to help the needy, so that the “unclean” could presume to touch him and request him to touch them.

 

Dear friends in Christ, despite the repeated infidelity of Hosea’s wife, the prophet continue to show mercy to her, which portrays the unconditional love of God to humanity. Christ, full of love and compassion makes himself available for all to approach him, that even the unclean could have access to him. He calls us to a deeper love experience with him today, a firm faith like the woman with the issue of blood and he makes himself available for us to touch the string of his garment through his word. May this word we reflect on this moment bring healing to you and your family and may it restore each one of us to a genuine relationship with God through Christ our Lord. Amen! Peace be with you!

 

Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ