Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Mass Readings
The theme of the first reading these days may seem repetitive. As with the readings from Amos over the past week and as with the reading s of the last two days, today’s reading also focuses on Israel’s infidelity to the Covenant. In fact, the main purpose of the prophets was not so much to foretell the futures as we are often given to understand, but rather, to highlight the infidelity of the nation and call them to the original covenantal love and steadfastness. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Hosea and a host of other prophets became God’s spokespersons communicating to the people God’s disappointment, God’s hurt, God’s frustration, God’s love and sometimes even God’s anger at a broken covenantal relationship. Each prophet had his or her own characteristics and communicated God’s word in the manner that was unique to their own experience. Thus, Hosea is known for speaking of the Covenant as a marriage between God and Israel. God is portrayed as a faithful husband and Israel as an unfaithful wife. (There is no sexism here and the image could have been vice versa). In fact, to make the message real, in his own life Hosea had to live out the pain that God was experiencing. Thus Hosea (God) is asked to marry a prostitute by the name of Gomer (Israel). Gomer bore Hosea three sons but thrice she leaves Hosea in desire for other men. Thrice Hosea goes after her and brings her back home. The message here is that Israel, like a seasoned prostitute was incapable of fidelity but yet God chose her as his own and continues to do so. God promises Israel faithfulness, steadfast love, and prosperity. This experience of unmerited pure love should have transformed and satisfied Israel but the reality says otherwise. Israel always went after other God’s for fringe benefits like a prostitute would go after other men or women.
That brings us the gospel reading. Jesus chooses the twelve apostles to himself. The calling of the twelve represents the calling of the twelve tribes of Israel. In and through the twelve apostles, God was renewing his call to all of Israel. Among these twelve would be those who would be faithful and those who would deny and betray Jesus. In other words, history repeats itself as far as infidelity is concerned. But there were also those among the twelve who gave up their lives for Christ in fidelity to their relationship with Jesus.
The book of the prophet Hosea and today’s gospel should make as look at all our relationships – with God, with spouse, with parents, with children, with church, with friends and those to whom we make commitments. Relationships are sacred things. They are painful when they break. If we are the victim of infidelity and deceit them we must pray for those causing us the pain. On the other hand we must take great care to nurture our relationships. The most important of these relationships is our relationship with God. It would be a good thing to evaluate our spiritual life and seek lessons we can learn from Hosea’s life and the life of the apostles.
Let today’s Psalm response be our closing prayer for today’s reflection.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. Seek always the face of the Lord.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. Seek always the face of the Lord.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
Fr. Satish Joseph