20260709 PROCLAIMING THE FATHER’S MERCY AND LOVE
09 July 2026, 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!
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.’
PROCLAIMING THE FATHER’S MERCY AND LOVE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HOS 11:1-4,8-9; MT 10,7-15]
The Prophet Hosea initially portrays God’s love as a spousal, passionate love for Israel. It is a romance and an intimate bond between husband and wife. But Israel proved to be an unfaithful wife because she chased after false gods. In spite of the blessings of prosperity that God had showered upon her, she betrayed Him by breaking the covenant — not only by worshipping pagan deities but also by failing to observe justice and honesty in human relationships.
In today’s readings, Hosea provides another image of God as a loving Father and Israel as a stubborn, unrepentant son. In the book of Exodus, Israel is also referred to as the “sons” or “children” of Israel. God has loved His people since their inception. Since the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), God has always looked after them. Most of all, Israel was born as a nation when God delivered the sons of Israel from slavery in Egypt: “Thus says the Lord: When Israel was a child I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” Among the worst enemies of ancient Israel was Egypt, which stood as a constant threat and a potential aggressor. Egypt was also known as a land of wealth, power, and occult activity, all of which lured the Israelites to turn away from the God of the Covenant. Hence, Egypt came to represent anything and everything that hindered or tempted God’s chosen people.
God’s faithful love was met with ingratitude and a forgetfulness of Israel’s past and what God had done for them. The Lord decried, “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 with reins of kindness, with leading-strings of love.” They had taken for granted God’s choice of them as His people. They forgot the signs and wonders performed by Moses when they were delivered from the Egyptians, and how Moses and Joshua led them through the desert, with God supplying their needs and bringing them to the Promised Land.
The experience of having ungrateful children is heartbreaking. Those of us who are parents, guardians, teachers, or even religious leaders know how painful it is when those to whom we have given the most of ourselves — our time, resources, care, and love — are not only ungrateful today but even abuse and reject us. As King Lear said, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child!” Indeed, the emotional pain suffered from a thankless child is sharper than the bite of a serpent. A child who ignores, despises, disrespects, and betrays his parents is, in a way, more dangerous than a lethal snake. King Lear aptly labelled ingratitude a “marble-hearted fiend.”
That was how God suffered, as Hosea notes: “I was like someone who lifts an infant close against his cheek; stooping down to him I gave him his food.” But God, like most parents, will not resort to revenge because His love is greater than our sins. God 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.” And even if some human parents disown their ungrateful children, God promises otherwise. When Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me,” the Lord replied, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” (Isa 49:14-16). This is the faithful, long-suffering, patient, and forgiving love of God for His rebellious children. God never gives up on us, no matter how much we have sinned against Him.
It is within this context that we are called to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Regardless of the evil in the world, the sins committed by selfish people, and the consequences of those sins — such as illness, addiction, demonic possession, and the marginalisation of the poor and vulnerable — we are called to proclaim that God’s Kingdom is near. This means that God’s rule is here, and He wants to heal the brokenness of humanity, destroy sin and evil, and, most of all, restore us to wholeness through reconciliation with God and with each other. This is seen in the restoration of humanity. 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 signs that the Kingdom of God has come and that His Lordship is here are evident when we see the elimination of evil, poverty, discrimination, marginalisation, and injustice, giving way to true freedom and new life in the Holy Spirit. These signs draw people to listen to the message.
Indeed, the preacher or messenger of the Kingdom comes to proclaim peace wherever they go. The Lord told the Twelve, “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.” This peace that we proclaim must not be mistaken for the peace of the world — a peace that is fragile, a compromise, or a form of mere pacification. No, we are called to proclaim the peace that comes from God, namely, that God has come to reconcile us with Himself. As St. Paul said, “So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:20-21)
For this to become a reality, the preachers of the Kingdom must themselves be seen living a life under the Lordship of God. We must demonstrate Jesus’ rule of life. The greatest sign is our own life. Effective proclamation is not a matter of eloquence or nice words; it is about living out what we proclaim. People must see us as those who live under the Lordship of Christ in all we say and do. Otherwise, we contradict our own words. This is the scandal of our churches today: we do not live out what we profess to believe. When there is discrimination in our communities — between the rich and the poor, saints and sinners, or among races — or when we fight for glory and recognition while lacking charity and respect for each other, we are not yet living under Christ’s Lordship. As St. Paul tells us, “the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:19-21)
Rather, we show that God is in charge of our lives when we live generously and do all things for His greater glory and for the love of our brothers and sisters. For this reason, the Lord instructed His apostles, “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.” They must be totally dependent on God rather than on their own resources. God equips us for the mission. If the apostles were called to travel light, it was so that they would trust God to supply their needs wherever they ministered. They must serve without conditions and without self-interest. The agents of God must live simply and be detached from the world, using worldly goods for only one thing: to share the love of Christ with all. Simplicity of life reveals to us that what is most important in life is love, joy, peace, and unity. Everything else is subordinated to this quest for God’s Kingdom to rule our lives. Indeed, we must not sell our souls to the world, nor use the Gospel for selfish, worldly benefits or to attain worldly glory. Those who receive the Gospel and its message, as Jesus promised, will find true peace in their lives.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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