July 8, 2010
Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“The more I called them, the farther they went from me…” Hosea 11:2a
As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Matthew 10:12-13
Piety
The Spirit of Christ sends us into the world. To the degree that we are guided not by our fears but by the power of the Spirit, we become aware of the needs of the world and we experience a deep desire to be of service. The prisoners, the sick, the hungry, the homeless, as well as the many who are entangled in war or in the preparation for war, are shown to us as brothers and sisters with whom we are united in solidarity.
(Henri J. M. Nouwen. A Cry for Mercy: Prayers from the Genesee. New York: Doubleday, 2002. Page 105)
Study
God is present among his people, among us. That unquenchable love calls to us with bonds of love, yet we fail to recognize him. Despite this failure, the Lord did not turn from the people in Hosea’s time and he will not turn from us. Instead, because he is “God, not man,” the Lord remains present among us through the Holy Spirit.
In the great commissioning that Matthew relates in today’s Gospel, Jesus asks to hold up our end of the covenant two ways: First being present to Him and then being present to each other.
God is present among us and asks us to be present to all those we meet. Jesus asks us to bring peace to them.
Action
Where do we see the face of God today? Is it on the cross hanging in our churches and homes? Is it in the icons that decorate our schools and lives? Or is it also in the faces of those we meet every day. The faces of the Metro bus driver. The faces of the movie theatre ticket takers. The faces of our fellow commuters. The faces of the gardeners. The faces of the children. The faces of the gang members. The faces of the prisoners. The faces of the sick.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. To whom are you being asked to give today? Notice those around you and be present to them through your love in action today.
