20240711 UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AS OUR RESPONSE TO INGRATES
11 July 2024, Thursday, 14th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Hosea 11:1-4,8-9 |
I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy
Thus says the Lord:
When Israel was a child I loved him,
and I called my son out of Egypt.
But the more I called to them, the further they went from me;
they have offered sacrifice to the Baals
and set their offerings smoking before the idols.
I myself taught Ephraim to walk,
I took them in my arms;
yet they have not understood that I was the one looking after them.
I led them with reins of kindness,
with leading-strings of love.
I was like someone who lifts an infant close against his cheek;
stooping down to him I gave him his food.
Ephraim, how could I part with you?
Israel, how could I give you up?
How could I treat you like Admah,
or deal with you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils from it,
my whole being trembles at the thought.
I will not give rein to my fierce anger,
I will not destroy Ephraim again,
for I am God, not man:
I am the Holy One in your midst
and have no wish to destroy.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 79(80):2-3,15-16 |
Let your face shine on us, O Lord, and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
shine forth from your cherubim throne.
O Lord, rouse up your might,
O Lord, come to our help.
Let your face shine on us, O Lord, and we shall be saved.
God of hosts, turn again, we implore,
look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it,
the vine your right hand has planted.
Let your face shine on us, O Lord, and we shall be saved.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps94:8 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mk1:15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The kingdom of God is close at hand:
repent and believe the Good News.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 10:7-15 |
You received without charge: give without charge
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge. Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep.
‘Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you. And if anyone does not welcome you or listen to what you have to say, as you walk out of the house or town shake the dust from your feet. I tell you solemnly, on the day of Judgement it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom and Gomorrah as with that town.’
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AS OUR RESPONSE TO INGRATES
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HOS 11:1-4,8-9; MT 10:7-15]
The love of God is not only unconditional but given without reservation. This is the theme of today’s scripture readings. Israel was chosen by the Lord to be His people. When the Hebrews were helpless like a child in Egypt, the Lord called them out of Egypt. He delivered them even though they were slaves in Egypt. They had no nationality. They were just a mob. But God set them free from Egypt and led them through the desert into the Promised Land. This is how we also love our children. Like God, we love them unconditionally. We raise them with unreserved love. Indeed, that is what the Lord said of His love for Israel. “I myself taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in my arms. I led with reins of kindness, with leading-strings of love. I was like someone who lifts an infant close against his cheek; stooping down to him I gave him his food.”
Unfortunately, not all whom we love in life are grateful for the sacrifices we make for them. Not all respond with gratitude – seen not so much in their words but in the way they make use of the gifts they received from us. We know that they are grateful when they make use of all the gifts and opportunities we give them for their personal growth. Most of all, we know that they are grateful when, after they have carved a career or name for themselves, they honour us by helping us to look after the house, take care of us, and make sure that we live as comfortably as we can. This was not true in the case of Israel, unfortunately. They forgot the Lord’s goodness. Instead of walking in the way of the Covenant and remaining faithful to Him, they betrayed the Lord. This was in spite of the appeals of love from God. Indeed, the Lord lamented, “But the more I called to them, the further they went from me; they have offered sacrifice to the Baals and set their offerings smoking before the idols; yet they have not understood that I was the one looking after them.”
What would our reaction be if we were in that position – where not just with our loved ones, but our friends, colleagues and all those we have helped in life turn out to be ingrates? Our first reaction would be to stop offering them our assistance, since they not only do not appreciate but betray us behind our back. Some of us might, out of anger, even want to cut them off completely from our lives. Some might even wish for some disaster to befall them for acting in such a selfish manner. Regardless, we would be angry and certainly have nothing to do with them, at least for a while. With those who are not directly related to us, we can detach ourselves easily from them.
But if they are our children and loved ones, sometimes we have no choice but to bear the pain of seeing them waste away their lives, living irresponsibly and wantonly. The most we can do is to delimit them from wasting our resources. But it is difficult to stop loving them because we have emotional ties with blood members of our family. We will still love them and hope that they would come to their senses and learn to value what they have, and to use their resources well, for their personal growth and well-being, and to serve others. This was how the Lord treated His people Israel as well. In spite of their infidelity to Him, He said, “My heart recoils from it, my whole being trembles at the thought. I will not give rein to my fierce anger, I will not destroy Ephraim again, for I am God, not man: I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy.”
When we have unconditional love, there is always hope. This is why, faith, hope and charity always go together. But it is hope that keeps faith and charity afloat. The moment we give up hope, we will give up faith and charity. So it is our hope that they will change for the better that keeps us in faith that God will one day grant them the grace to repent. It is our hope for them that keeps us loving them, even if we have to endure long-suffering love. We try to be patient with them, giving them chance after chance, hoping they will be awakened.
The gospel also speaks of the call to unconditional love and service. Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows, “As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils.” The apostles were commanded to continue the ministry of our Lord in proclaiming the Good News of God’s Kingdom; and to reach out to those who were sick and possessed by evil. They were called to bring the healing and liberating love of God to them according to the situations they are in so that God’s love is manifested and indeed justify their proclamation that God’s kingdom is here.
This is possible only if they are grateful for what they have received from God. Indeed, they were not worthy to be called to apostleship. They were uneducated, revolutionaries, fishermen and even tax-collectors. Yet, Jesus in His mercy and love, chose them freely to be among His inner circle of apostles. They were chosen not because they were good or holy, or people with status. They were chosen simply because Jesus bestowed His love on them. And because of that, they were given the privilege of listening to Jesus teaching them personally and the crowd. They witnessed the love and compassion of our Lord for the people. They saw the miracles that He performed for the people; how He raised the dead to life, how He healed the sick and how He cast out Evil Spirits with authority and power.
Now what is unimaginable is that these same powers were now given to them. They could do the same, healing and casting out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. Indeed, we read in Luke’s gospel how the Seventy were sent out and when they came back, they “returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ He said to them, I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (Lk 10:17-20) Truly, sharing in the authority of Jesus and His ministry itself is a great privilege but the greatest privilege is to share in the life of Jesus and that they are assured of eternal life with God.
Consequently, they had to put their trust in God when exercising the ministry in His name. They did not rely on themselves. This was why the Lord instructed them, “Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep.” In St Matthew’s gospel, Jesus did not allow the apostles to carry any money with them or even any spare clothing or footwear. The missionary must travel light and not be burdened by the mundane things of life, for the gospel is urgent. Most of all, an apostle is one who is totally dependent on the Lord. Their authority comes from the Lord. So too, whatever they do and say must come from the Lord. It is the Lord who will provide them their needs and give them the capacity to proclaim the Good News.
Yet, it must be noted that the apostles were called to share in Jesus’ ministry by serving freely and giving freely to all because they themselves were recipients of God’s love and mercy. The Lord said, “You received without charge, give without charge.” Their service and love must be free. They should not count the cost of ministering to the people. It must be given not just freely but humbly. There must be no conditions attached to their service. They must not profit from the work they do. The service is given purely out of compassion and love. Freely received, and therefore give freely, is the spirit of the gospel.
Of course, they must be given basic sustenance. In the days of Jesus, hospitality was an obligation and so it was not difficult for itinerant missionaries to find food and accommodation. Hence, the instruction of our Lord must be understood within context when He said, “Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you.” In today’s time, the situation is quite different. We will need to provide sustenance to our priests, religious and missionaries. But at the same time, we must be careful that we do not lose our focus in serving the people generously.
Finally, not only is the service to be given freely but without conditions, even for those who reject the gospel. The Lord said, “And if anyone does not welcome you or listen to what you have to say, as you walk out of the house or town shake the dust from your feet. I tell you solemnly, on the day of Judgement it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom and Gomorrah as with that town.” In other words, we must leave judgment to God. The gospel is offered freely to all but if rejected, we know that we are not responsible for their damnation because we have done what we could in offering them the gift of salvation. Instead of getting angry or disappointed, we should just continue sharing the Good News with others. It is the Lord who will open their hearts. Conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit. Our task is simply to announce the gospel and show them our love and mercy.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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