Readings for Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13
The Prophet Hosea, speaking with the voice of God, condemns the people of Israel, Samaria, and Ephraim for falling away from the Law of Moses and taking up the worship of baal and other false practices (probably those of the local majority population). The prophet is eloquent in describing how these practices not only displease God but will not bring the result hoped for. (“When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind”) He beacons them back to “innocence” in the precepts of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 115:3-4, 5-6, 7ab-8, 9-10
R. The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.
Psalm 115 is a hymn of praise to our God who is above all things and creator of all. While he is not seen, all creation is evidence of his power and salvation.
Gospel Matthew 9:32-38
In this selection Jesus continues his healing practice as he travels from town to town. We see growing opposition from the Pharisees as he does so. Using the same language we heard in Luke 10; 1-9 Jesus prepares to send out the disciples to proclaim the Good News.
Reflection:
Hosea continues to be the voice of God calling the people back to fidelity. Perhaps more than any other place in scripture we could see him standing on a street corner of any major city today. The Jews of his time have begun to intermingle with neighboring populations and participate in the ritual practices and idol worship of those neighbors. Much like an adolescent wanting to be accepted by the group of “popular” kids who act out and do edgy things, these Jews (of Israel, Samaria, and Ephraim) take up the religious practices of the region even thought those practices violate the precepts of Mosaic Law.
We can understand how easily this could have happened. Let’s say Joseph, a young Jew who moved to Samaria at the time, saw and fell in love with Barsha, a Samarian girl from down the road. They get married and she asks him why he insists on practicing that boring Jewish religion and they should go to one of the Baal meetings – that would really open his eyes. They have this statue of a golden calf where Baal is housed and he commands them to debauch themselves – it’s a blast, not like those boring prayer things the Jews do to an “invisible” God who doesn’t even have a name. How cool, Joseph thinks. And his in-laws will be there and that will make an excellent impression.
It could happen just that way and who could blame Joseph? He was just fitting in, creating good relationships between cultures. In modern politically correct (PC) language he was facilitating cultural diversity. It would be discriminatory if he objected to those practices, even though they violated every important tenant of his faith. And what harm did it do? (dripping with ironic sarcasm)
The picture painted above has obvious application to our own situations (Please note, however, this is an extreme example and not intended to foster cultural intolerance or elitism.). A more relevant example could be the ongoing debate about stem cell research. There is another push to broaden the availability of embryos stored at fertility clinics to research facilities. The argument made by those favoring such research is “They would be destroyed eventually anyway so why shouldn’t we get some potentially life saving use from them.” The germ of life was initiated by individuals so set on having children that they used expensive and extreme measures to create these fertilized eggs. And they made enough of them so, if the couple wanted more than one child, the costly process of harvesting the eggs and controlling the environment to insure fertilization, would not have to be repeated. It is these extra eggs that are being recommended for use (destruction) by researchers. Oh and there is a nationalistic push as well. You see, Korea and China, whose secular morality has no compunctions about sacrificing human life to advance science, are already making strides in this direction.
Should we, as Christians, accept this direction because it might provide a better life for a person suffering from diabetes or even ALS? That is something for which we all pray. Hosea’s words come back to us; “When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind” The path that can follow from that decision can lead us to so trivialize human life that all flesh becomes just “Biological Material” suitable for what ever research someone might suppose could lead to a better life (for those who could afford it.)
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “The Assyrians in Samaria” by UNKNOWN Dutch Master, c. 1550
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13
The Prophet Hosea, speaking with the voice of God, condemns the people of Israel, Samaria, and Ephraim for falling away from the Law of Moses and taking up the worship of baal and other false practices (probably those of the local majority population). The prophet is eloquent in describing how these practices not only displease God but will not bring the result hoped for. (“When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind”) He beacons them back to “innocence” in the precepts of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 115:3-4, 5-6, 7ab-8, 9-10
R. The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.
Psalm 115 is a hymn of praise to our God who is above all things and creator of all. While he is not seen, all creation is evidence of his power and salvation.
Gospel Matthew 9:32-38
In this selection Jesus continues his healing practice as he travels from town to town. We see growing opposition from the Pharisees as he does so. Using the same language we heard in Luke 10; 1-9 Jesus prepares to send out the disciples to proclaim the Good News.
Reflection:
Hosea continues to be the voice of God calling the people back to fidelity. Perhaps more than any other place in scripture we could see him standing on a street corner of any major city today. The Jews of his time have begun to intermingle with neighboring populations and participate in the ritual practices and idol worship of those neighbors. Much like an adolescent wanting to be accepted by the group of “popular” kids who act out and do edgy things, these Jews (of Israel, Samaria, and Ephraim) take up the religious practices of the region even thought those practices violate the precepts of Mosaic Law.
We can understand how easily this could have happened. Let’s say Joseph, a young Jew who moved to Samaria at the time, saw and fell in love with Barsha, a Samarian girl from down the road. They get married and she asks him why he insists on practicing that boring Jewish religion and they should go to one of the Baal meetings – that would really open his eyes. They have this statue of a golden calf where Baal is housed and he commands them to debauch themselves – it’s a blast, not like those boring prayer things the Jews do to an “invisible” God who doesn’t even have a name. How cool, Joseph thinks. And his in-laws will be there and that will make an excellent impression.
It could happen just that way and who could blame Joseph? He was just fitting in, creating good relationships between cultures. In modern politically correct (PC) language he was facilitating cultural diversity. It would be discriminatory if he objected to those practices, even though they violated every important tenant of his faith. And what harm did it do? (dripping with ironic sarcasm)
The picture painted above has obvious application to our own situations (Please note, however, this is an extreme example and not intended to foster cultural intolerance or elitism.). A more relevant example could be the ongoing debate about stem cell research. There is another push to broaden the availability of embryos stored at fertility clinics to research facilities. The argument made by those favoring such research is “They would be destroyed eventually anyway so why shouldn’t we get some potentially life saving use from them.” The germ of life was initiated by individuals so set on having children that they used expensive and extreme measures to create these fertilized eggs. And they made enough of them so, if the couple wanted more than one child, the costly process of harvesting the eggs and controlling the environment to insure fertilization, would not have to be repeated. It is these extra eggs that are being recommended for use (destruction) by researchers. Oh and there is a nationalistic push as well. You see, Korea and China, whose secular morality has no compunctions about sacrificing human life to advance science, are already making strides in this direction.
Should we, as Christians, accept this direction because it might provide a better life for a person suffering from diabetes or even ALS? That is something for which we all pray. Hosea’s words come back to us; “When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind” The path that can follow from that decision can lead us to so trivialize human life that all flesh becomes just “Biological Material” suitable for what ever research someone might suppose could lead to a better life (for those who could afford it.)
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “The Assyrians in Samaria” by UNKNOWN Dutch Master, c. 1550
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