The Catholic Calendar for Wednesday, July 7, 2004
Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture from Wednesday’s Liturgy of the Word:
Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12
Psalm 105:2-7
Matthew 10:1-74

A reflection on today’s Sacred Scripture:

The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand. (see Matthew 10:7)

Human behavior is pervaded by ironies, the Jews’ no less than the rest of this world’s population. God had revealed Himself to them, protected them in strife, blessed them and taught them to live a life of love and truth so that His “chosen” could make Him known to all other peoples.

Ironically, they didn’t obey the One True God, the author and lover of life, by failing to live in piety and justice; yet they sought God to give them an earthly king. It didn’t occur to them that God desired to first establish His spiritual kingdom to firmly rule over His people; for only then would there be hope of the Jews establishing a nation, opening a new field and seeding the new kingdom to grow an abundant crop of God’s goodness and so feed the entire world.

Jesus, God’s Incarnate Word came to this earth, to the Israelites, to establish this kingdom to be ruled by God’s Spirit, the Sanctifier of humanity. He would cleanse, heal, comfort and teach God’s people His absolute truth and empower them to live in His love with Him and one another.

In today’s Gospel He proclaims the establishment of His kingdom and delegates all His authority to the Apostles, that they may shepherd first the lost sheep of Israel. Christ places a staggering responsibility on those called to preach and teach in His name. Success is assured to those who sincerely love God and His truth, who follow the virtues learned as they obeyed the Spirit’s promptings, and who through prayer developed a deep knowledge of, and an intimacy with, Christ.

O Blessed Sanctifier,
open our hearts ever more widely
to receive Christ as our only Lord and King,
that we may become living witnesses to God’s Holy Word.
Amen.

- Marie Bocko, OCDS
(mlbocko at borg dot com)

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posted by joachim at 4:26 AM