Repaying Unfaithfulness with Faithfulness (Homily for Friday of the 14th week in Ordinary time year II July 12 2024

Homily for Friday of the 14th week in Ordinary time year II July 12 2024

Hosea 14:1-9; Psalm 51; Mathew 10:16-23

Repaying Unfaithfulness with Faithfulness

Despite Israel's sinfulness, the Lord does not wait for her to repent before reaching out. He passionately calls her to Himself for restoration. While God has nothing to gain from Israel's repentance, Israel stands to gain everything from her intimacy with the Lord. Yet, it is the Lord who extends His hand of fellowship towards Israel, repaying her unfaithfulness with faithfulness.

This is a challenging practice for humans. Love between individuals grows when reciprocated. When one partner loves without being loved in return, the relationship can become frustrating and unhealthy.

In the gospel reading, Jesus tells His disciples that to succeed in their mission, they must be prepared to endure cruelty from those they minister to. Despite their sacrifices to bring the gospel to people's doorsteps, the message will not always be received warmly. When this happens, the bearers of the message may face attacks. However, they are merely messengers, not the source of the message. Thus, they might be tempted to abandon their mission to escape persecution.

Beloved, our experience will be similar if we choose to serve the Lord. We need the Spirit of God to repay evil with good, ensuring we are not discouraged or corrupted by the evil of men. Rejection is not failure; when men reject us because of the gospel, it is not God who rejects us. As Jesus sent His apostles, He assured them that despite any harm they might suffer, He would recover them. Beloved, be confident in witnessing to the gospel, for God never withdraws His support from His ministers.

God bless you all