Homily Monday of the
14th Week of Ordinary time Year B/St. Maria Goretti, Virgin and
Martyr
Faith
and Faithfulness
v Hosea
2:16, 17c-18, 21-22;
v ps145:2-3,4-9;
v Matt
9:18-26
Scriptures of this Monday of the 14th Week of
Ordinary Time’s, liturgy, and the memorial day of St. Maria Goretti tell for
our own benefits, stories of faith, unfaithfulness and faithfulness, especially
from improbable people from improbable places.
First, in the 1st reading (Hosea 2:16-22) is
the story of the faithfulness of a universal God and the unfaithfulness of
Israel. This story is cast metaphorically in the personalities of a man, a
husband called Hosea, and the wife, a whore, known as Gomer. In spite of the latter’s unfaithfulness, the
former, Hosea remains forgiving, merciful, kind and faithful. He keeps
espousing her and taking her home. Remember it is not about which gender is a
sinner in this story. It could have been any of us. It is about the
faithfulness of Christians to their callings. God is always faithful no matter
our unfaithfulness or that of Israel. He espouses us forever, as affirmed by
St. Paul in Ephesians 3 and 5. How consistent is our faith and forgiving spirit
to one another as religious, cultural, socio-political people in our various
states of life?
Second, is the faith of a synagogue official, Jairus, who
approached Jesus asking for his healing mercies on behalf of her daughter who
was sick to death in Matthew’s Gospel. As if the healing and raising of official
daughter in this Gospel was not enough Jesus went on to heal a woman who was
bleeding, who has been suffering hemorrhages for 12 years. Though this story is
redacted by Matthew from Mark 5:25-34(cf. Luke Luke 5:43-48) to suit his goal,
one cannot miss the importance of faith displayed in these stories.
In all this, the Lord is gracious, kind, merciful and
forgiving (ereke payim, exodus 34:6-7; Jonah; Pope Francis’ Misericordia
vultus, Misericordia et Misera, mixing misery with mercy or his motto: Miserando
atque eligendo). The merciful and gracious Jesus, God’s incarnate son
expects us to be imitator of him, to be faithful, gracious and merciful to one
another. To be faithful, not only as Gomer, Jairus, or the woman who had 12
years bleeding suffering, which was regarded as unclean ancient day, but as the
young girl, Maria Goretti, who faithfully repelled and fought back with her life abuse and sexual exploitation
during her life time.
Today we are confronted with all kinds of temptation to
abdicate our faith and values. In good times, and in bad times; covid-19 or no
covid19 nothing, racism or no racism, nothing, modern or ancient should ever
separate us from the love God, who is ever faithful, gracious, kind and
merciful to us!
Reflection Questions
1.
Are we able to see
ourselves in the characters of today’s scriptures?
2.
How often do we
forgive those who may have offended or betrayed us?
3.
Are we faithful to
our callings, or what are the challenges?
