Homily: Fourteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time
Fourteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time (Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13) “God is Married to Us.”
Hosea was another prophet who preached in the northern nation of Israel during the time before that nation was conquered by the Assyrians in the eighth century. Some believe he was a priest or a cult prophet so he was a man who was what we would say today was a professional minister. He was different than the prophet Amos who was a shepherd who was a prophet at about the same time. Hosea saw the same social sin that Amos saw. The poor were being neglected. The rich were living well.
He also had a problem with the fact that the people of Israel were falling into idolatry. They were making idols of silver and gold. Hosea spoke strongly about this.
Hosea not only used words, but he used another prophetic tool, symbolic action. He used his marriage as a symbol of the relationship between Israel and God. Hosea’s wife Gomer was unfaithful to him, and this hurt him greatly. He seems to have loved his wife and he wanted to forgive her and make his marriage strong again, but Gomer continued to stray.
Hosea saw his situation as a parallel situation to that of his nation and its God. God loved Israel and was ready to forgive. God was ready to forgive as often as necessary, but Israel continued to worship other God’s. This was a direct violation of the first commandment.
When we reflect upon the preaching of Hosea, we might see similarities to our lives. When we are in love with another person be it in a romantic way or whether it is the love, we have for a child or parent, we might be ready to forgive the other person if they have betrayed us. We might feel that the worst thing in such situations would be for our relationship with the person who has betrayed us to end. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, however friendships, romances and family ties are strained beyond repair. Those experiences break our hearts.
Israel was conquered. There is great upheaval. But Hosea holds out hope that one day healing would come. We can try to hold on to the same hope when our hearts are hurting.
Reflection Questions:
- Is there someone who I have forgiven who has hurt me? Have I hurt someone who has forgiven me?
- Is our nation breaking God’s heart right now? Why or why not?
Dear Parishioners,
A peaceful 4th of July parade and suddenly, a young man with a gun opens fire. As I write to you today at least six people are dead and 29 other people are wounded. This seems to be a random act. People were killed just because they were easy targets.
I remember as I write this the words of John Paul II on one of his visits to the United States. He complimented our country on its many freedoms but then he said, “Freedom is not doing whatever one wants to do it is doing what one ought to do.”
Does the freedom to bear arms mean that we have the right to have guns that are weapons of war, weapons that are designed to kill as many people as possible in as short a time as possible? If we believe that is a freedom that all should have then we have lost our way. In a country where we pass all kinds of laws to protect public health, we need to consider public health when it comes to gun laws. Our lawmakers better find some courage soon, before more innocent men, women and children are murdered.
May Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception our patroness pray for the United States.
Fr. Mark