Feast of St. Benedict
Readings:
Hosea 11: 1-4, 8-9
Matthew 10: 7-15
Reflection:
Our first reading from Hosea uses a very comforting; some might say a very feminine, image of God nurturing, encouraging and leading with ‘strings of love’. This passage ends with the words ‘I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy.’ Oftentimes when people look at some of the terrible events around the world they ask ‘why does God allow such things to happen?’ Here Hosea, the Prophet is portraying a God who nurtures and has no wish to destroy so the events that we see are often the work of humans and the very human emotions and passions that drive hatred and revenge. Every war seems to create the agenda and motivation for the next war and so our question might be ‘how do we break the cycle?’ We can do in our daily interactions with others. Let’s pray for peace
By coincidence the Gospel today is the same as that for June 11, the date of my previous reflection! I could just refer back to June 11 except that the word of God is always new and doesn’t let us off that easily!!
Today’s Gospel has two additional sentences! Jesus has given his disciples instructions for their mission. He adds ‘and if anyone doesn’t welcome you, or listen to what you have to say, shake the dust off your feet.’ People will not always accept us or what we have to say and I think maybe Jesus is saying here that if this is our experience, we must let it go. Oftentimes people are not ready or able to hear even good news or perhaps I am not the right messenger at this moment. There is a wisdom in the advice which Jesus gives, a wisdom he had personally learnt in his own ministry. We must not carry the rejection with us as this will only weigh us down and make us less effective or less present in the next conversation.
We might ask ourselves, what am I carrying that is affecting me being the best I can be in the present moment so that I am free to nurture and encourage as God desires?
Sr. Brigid Murphy CP
Sisters of the Cross & Passion,
Melbourne