Homily- for Wednesday of the 18th Week of Ord. Yr. B./ Dedication of Saint Mary Major Basilica
Jer 31:1-7
Ps/Jer 31:10,11-12ab,13
Matt 15:21-28
Have Faith, with age-old love I have Loved You, Says the Lord!
Today’s scripture readings reminds us that age-old love that God has always loved everyone, all colors, Jews and Gentiles, male and female, old and young, poor and the rich, who trust in him.
In the first reading of today the prophet Jeremiah who had not only experienced challenges in his prophetic ministry, but, has seen the tumultuous relationship of his people with God, is sent by God to remind all the tribes of Israel that “they shall be his people; he will always love them as he had promised in the beginning; he will rebuilt their homes and their lives. In addition, they shall plant vineyards, on the mountain of Samaria as well as live to enjoy the fruit of the vineyard. Above all, the Lord has delivered his, the remnant of Israel.
It is a message of hope. It embraces “all the tribes” of Israel. It involves “all nations”, Judah and Samaria, from the south to the North. It reminds us of the promised, God had promised not only to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but also to David in 2 Samuel 7. We see this universal love of God displayed in 1 and 2 Chronicles, especially 1 Chronicles 17---the last books in the Tanak/Hebrew Bible- narrating the story from Adam to Cyrus- Israel’s story ending on a very positive note of hope, rebuilding and restoration!
This reminds me of Nelson Mandela’s concluding chapter of his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom. Mandela says, “I always knew that deep down in every human heart, there was mercy and generosity. No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion” (LWF, p.749).
This universal message of faith, hope, age-old love, of restoration, freedom, and of healing and mercy to all, including “foreigners” is heard in today’s Gospel, Matthew 15:21-28, where Jesus healed not even a Jew, but a Canaanite woman who put her trust and faith in the Lord, the Son of David. That is who God is. The same God that said to Jeremiah’s people “with age-old love I have loved you” is the same God manifested in the Matthean Christ who says to the Canaanite woman, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
This faith story of healing, and reassurances of God’s universal love without boundaries invite us in our various contexts, cultures, and nations to resubmit our ourselves and daily struggles, whatever, that may be, to the Lord who had always love us with that age-old love.
Reflection Questions
1. What have we learned today from the" universalness" of God’s love heard in the scripture?
2. Do we treat others with love, no matter where they come from, what they look like, as we would have treated ourselves?
3. What do you make of Nelson Mandela’s once—statement that no one is born to hate, but, they can be taught to love?
